


Wasteland, Baby!

by Flufferdoodle



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - No Pokemon, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, Idiots in Love, M/M, Namelessshipping, Plot comes late..., Sharing a Bed, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Stardew Valley - Freeform, Stardew Valley AU, farming au, glistenshipping, originalshipping - Freeform, reguri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 68,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24914275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flufferdoodle/pseuds/Flufferdoodle
Summary: Red escapes his empty life when he finds his grandfather has left him a deed to a farm in Pallet Town.Blue escapes his overfilled life when he goes home to care for his grandfather in Pallet Town.
Relationships: Hibiki | Ethan & Kotone | Lyra & Silver, Milo/Whitney, Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red, Sumomo | Maylene/Suzuna | Candice
Comments: 55
Kudos: 102





	1. Someone New

**Author's Note:**

> I do not intend to in any way, shape, or form accurately represent selective mutism or whatever may be the reason Red talks so little. Please do not assume that selective mutism works the way Red behaves in this fic; I know very little about it and do not want to pretend to.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would things be easier if there was a right way  
> Honey, there is no right way
> 
> And so I fall in love just a little ol' little bit  
> Every day with someone new

Red squinted at the sprawling fields in front of him, covered in rocks, leaves, and fallen branches, the setting sun just managing to tinge everything pink. The evening sat, cool and pleasant, a sharp contrast from the frigid air conditioning Red endured for years at the Johto Radio Tower. Even before Team Rocket bought out the company, his desks always seemed to be directly in front of a vent. He often would keep a cup of tea or coffee with him just to stop his hands from going numb.

“Well, Red, I oughtta let you get to bed,” Fuji said, concluding his ramblings about soil, sales, and seeds. “I know you’ll need to get an early start with it being spring and all, but I do hope you find some time soon to meet everyone in town! We’re all excited to have you here. Not often that new blood finds its way to Pallet Town.”

Red nodded his thanks as Fuji passed him the key to the shack and started walking back towards town. He still didn’t know what to make of all this; his mom had never talked about growing up on a farm while she was alive, and his dad wasn’t around to ask. He figured it _must_ have been his paternal grandfather who lived here, but… why would _he_ be left the deed? It’s not like Red ever met any of his extended family.

It was probably easier than it should’ve been for Red to abandon everything and move here. After the death of his mother, there was nothing holding him in Johto. Few friends, few connections – they felt so precious until everything started falling apart. Now it felt like there was just nothing left behind. Not even an empty desk; Rocket found a replacement the day he put his notice in.

He wondered if it’d be the same here, if he’d be able to find something worthwhile under all the wood and rocks.

Red pushed the key into the lock on the door and had to throw his body weight into forcing it to turn. He could barely make anything out in the dark, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the lights wouldn’t turn on. Using the light of his phone, he found the bed in the corner and dropped his duffel bag before climbing in.

The mattress was too cushy and the blankets too thin for early spring, and it took Red hours to find a comfortable position. He wondered if anyone sold mattresses nearby, or if he’d have to find a way to get one shipped. Maybe he’d get a truck eventually, and take a couple days to head up to Viridian to get one or something. Farmers had trucks, right?

Come to think of it, despite all the research he did on various plants and fertilizers, Red was completely lost on actual farming equipment. Did he even need a truck? How big were the fields?

He pulled out his phone to search, just to find he had no internet. Or reception.

Well.

He’d figured it out later, right? People have been farming for millennia. It couldn’t be too complicated.

But…

Red wanted to be good at this.

Red had been alright at his last job. He got things done on time and rarely received complaints, or really any kind of attention at all, from his bosses. But he never felt like he was particularly good at it.

And after Ethan and Lyra married and moved and Silver stopped coming around, he felt like he wasn’t exactly good with people or friends, either.

He was just a soul with enough money to make it to next week and no accomplishments since the time he played baseball in high school. He needed something successful in his life.

Red listened to the crickets’ chorus outside the window and wondered what would happen if his farm failed. He couldn’t really afford to move back into the city, and wasn’t sure if a small town like Pallet would even have any work for him to do. Did Pallet even legally qualify as a town?

Was he a villager now?

Really, was he anything?

**-line break-**

Blue yawned as he strapped on his field boots and checked his bag for a tree corer and camera. Today was, unfortunately, slime day, and that meant going in the clearing behind that godforsaken tower. He had long given up on understanding what about the tower bothered him so much. It was just an old watchtower occupied by a solitary, eccentric woman who couldn’t care less about him or the townspeople.

He often wondered if he was undermining scientific integrity by not taking measurements of the slimes closest to the tower. Actually, he didn’t wonder. He knew the answer was yes. But he wasn’t going to get closer than necessary.

He stretched and started opening the door when his grandfather stopped him.

“Blue! Blue, hold on a moment. I’ve got something for you.”

That’d be a first.

Blue rolled his eyes and turned around as his grandfather shuffled down the stairs. “What is it, Gramps? I need to reach the slimes while it’s still dark out.”

“We have a new neighbor,” Gramps explained. “They moved into the old farm last night. Lewis Fuji was telling me about it over tea yesterday – I was hoping to give them a welcome present. If you’ve got time today, I think it’d be good for you to stop by and give them this. Invite them over for dinner sometime, too.”

Blue sighed. “Why can’t you take it there yourself? I’m supposed to be in the field all day.”

“Well, hmm,” Gramps, at least, had the audacity to look embarrassed. “Well, Lewis told me they were a young person. Probably around your age.”

“So…?”

“Well, since you’ve come back here, you know, I worry that your time has been all spent with your old grandfather. This town isn’t getting any younger, Blue.”

“Neither am I. Besides, we’ve got plenty of young people-”

“-who are all going to move on one day. You barely spend any time outside the house, anyways. I’m worried about you.”

Blue sighed. “Look Gramps, I knew what I was signing up for when I chose to come home. I’m fine.”

“Fine enough to go greet our new neighbor?”

“…yes.”

“It’s apricot seeds. I’m sure they’ll find a use for them somewhere. They certainly have the space for it, with all those fields.” Gramps beamed as he passed him a nondescript paper bag.

Blue looked at it, unimpressed. “What did you say our neighbor’s name was, again?”

“Ah, well. I don’t think Lewis mentioned that.”

“Right. I’ll, uh, see when I can bring these over then. They’re living on that rundown farm?”

“Yes, thank you Blue. Be safe out there.”

“’Course, Gramps. Smell ya later.”

He walked out the door before his grandfather could talk more and rushed out to the forest. The sun would be rising soon, and it was best to get slime samples _before_ they were all awake and angry.

**-line break-**

Indecision struck Red like a punch to the gut. On one hand, he needed to clean the shack, top to bottom, and get rid of the mold growing in the bathroom. He also needed to fix the leak in the toilet, which miraculously flushed. But he also should probably just replace everything in the bathroom, because it was all disgusting and terrible. He also needed to fix the lighting. He could probably figure it out himself – electricians were expensive, and it couldn’t be too complicated. Eventually all of it would need to be ripped out and redone.

On the other hand, the farm needed attention soon if he was going to have a decent harvest and make any money. It was already mid spring. Most other farms would have seeds in the ground by now. He needed to order soil tests, too, and figure out what fertilizers he needed. Well, actually, before he got fertilizers he’d need to figure out what he even wanted to grow. He’d also eventually need some new tools – the hoe, shovel, and tiller left on the deck were bent and heavily rusted It took a solid twenty minutes to get them detangled from the vines that had started growing over the porch, too.

But also, he saw that there was a chicken coop near the western border of the farm. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but having some animals would be nice. That would need some fixing too, though, and he’d need to figure out feed.

He wished there were some instructions somewhere. A list of things to do first. None of the books he’d read addressed creating a farm from scratch. Everything acted like things were already in place.

Red rubbed his eyes and walked back towards the house. He should start small. Clear the field in front of his house this morning, look at the leak and the mold in the house this afternoon. Maybe stop by town for some food in the evening, and dust the place before he went to bed.

There. He had a plan.

Red dug through his bag and found a granola bar, shoving it into his mouth before getting to work pulling rocks and branches from the soil and piling them next to the house.

He tired a lot faster than he had hoped, but still had a decent area cleared by noon. It wasn’t a whole lot, but better than nothing.

Sweaty and gross, he walked inside and pulled off his shirt before searching for his water bottle. He paused once he found it. It was already halfway empty – the last time he refilled it was in Saffron City yesterday.

Did he even have drinkable water here? There was a well a short walk away from the house, but he didn’t trust it. The plumbing in the house was ancient, and could very well be filled with lead, tool

Maybe… he should’ve considered this before working out in the field.

He could buy water in town, though, right? He could head to town now. Maybe there’d be water testing kits, too. Water would have to be a common issue in a small town like this.

Drinking the rest of his bottle, he walked outside to inspect the well. It had to be connected to the plumbing in the house, he reckoned, and there weren’t any water pressure problems this morning, so that still had to be fine. A red, manual pump sat next to it, and he curiously pushed the handle.

Brick-colored water poured out onto the ground. Red sighed. He’d have to do some research on wells, too. And figure out the irrigation system throughout the farm, if one existed.

A lump started to build in his throat. Water, soil, mold, dust, seeds, fertilizer, money – he really, really hadn’t come prepared for this.

He shouldn’t have come at all. He should’ve just stuck with his job at the Radio Tower and dealt with it. He knew how to do everything there, he had a routine, he had a rhythm.

Rebuilding a decrepit farm wasn’t mean to be his path. He had no idea how to do anything here. He never even lived in a place like this before. His infancy, childhood, adolescence, and a decent chunk of adulthood was spent in the outskirts of Goldenrod City. Why would he ever think he’d be capable of leading a new life out here?

Now, all his other options were gone, too. How could he get his job back? His apartment? He had enough money left for a month’s rent, and if he took the economy class train ticket and hitchhiked back to Saffron…

**-line break-**

Blue wondered if the new neighbor intended to rebuild the farm or not. He assumed they’d have to have had the house cleaned up before moving in. He hadn’t ventured that far into the area in a while, but from what Blue remembered, the tiny shack was barely standing. Walking through a tangle of jimsonweed and bull thistle, he figured they really had their work cut out for them if they wanted to make anything of this.

Puddles of water leftover from the rain squelched under his boots, reminding him of the unpleasant noise mating slimes made. Hopefully this new neighbor wouldn’t have to face the horror of slimes making love on his porch like Blue and his perhaps-not-bothered-enough grandfather had last year.

Blue… wasn’t a big fan of slimes.

He made it to a clearing soon enough, and looked at the cleared patch of land with mild interest. An old metal tiller stood stuck in the soil, with a rusted shovel and hoe on the ground next to them. Hopefully the neighbor had an up-to-date tetanus shot if they were still using that.

And, well, apparently they didn’t fix up the house, Blue noted, because it was somehow even more mangled than before. Gross.

Maybe they had a trailer or something somewhere else on the property? Or they were fixing it up themselves.

Or they were, like, a goblin.

Either way, they had to be desperate to move into a shack like that.

“Hello?” Blue called, stepping up to the house. No response. They could’ve headed into town, he supposed, or really did have a setup in a different part of the farm. “Hello?” he tried again, louder this time.

A sudden shuffling sound echoed from behind the house, and Blue felt chills run down his spine. Maybe they _were_ a goblin. A goblin living under the house that he upset by walking on their property without an invitation, and now they were going to kill him and nobody would be able to bring the slime and tree core samples back to Gramps, and-

-and a shirtless man stepped out from behind the house. Broad-shouldered, tall, pale, dark hair, red eyes, and the most beautiful person Blue had ever laid eyes on. Even if he was covered in sweat and grime.

Blue swallowed and took a moment to gather his thoughts before smiling and walking closer.

“Hey, I’m Blue, renowned biologist. You’ve probably heard of me. Nice to meet ya. I’m assuming you’re the guy who just moved here?”

The man nodded. Blue’s jaw tightened. No introduction?

“Cool! Well, I don’t know what’d bring you to a backwater place like this, but, well, my grandfather and I wanted to welcome you. Are you trying to rebuild the farm?”

A shrug.

“Right. You got a farming background?” With shoulders like that, he _must_ come from some kind of manual labor, right?

He shook his head.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

The man shrugged and lowered his gaze a bit. Blue silently willed the ground to open up and swallow them both, saving them from whatever this godawful awkward encounter was.

“Well, I mean, fine by me. Growing up, my grandfather said I talk enough for the whole town. Not sure I ever grew out of that, either.” Blue cringed at his words. Why did he say that. Why the hell did he say that. What on earth would possess him to say that. Please, Blue prayed, please let lightning strike him now.

The man seemed unbothered though and smiled a bit, sticking out a wide, very dirty, hand.

Blue swallowed and shook it.

“You… you got a name?” Blue asked.

“…Red.”

Holy god his voice was so deep. And raspy.

And hot.

Blue swallowed.

“Always good to meet someone else with a color name,” Blue joked. “Well, I oughtta get going now, but I wanted to invite you over for dinner sometime. Anytime. My grandfather and I live in the lab in the southern part of town – giant white boxy-looking building. Can’t miss it. I can’t say either of us are good cooks, but we do well enough. My grandfather, unfortunately, talks even more than I do, but, I mean, if you-” Blue stopped mid-sentence. Would it be rude to make a joke about him being quiet? “-if you, uh, don’t mind me, then I’m certain you’d survive it. Actually, uh, I think he’s having some people over tonight, too, if you want to join. Unless you already have plans.” Actually, his grandfather wasn’t having anyone over tonight.

Red shook his head, releasing his hand. Blue willed himself not to blush upon realizing that he hadn’t let go of the handshake thus far. Oh god. Oh this was a disaster. A complete disaster.

“Perfect! If you want, I can come by later, at, oh, I don’t know, five? And I can show you the way down there. I know moving can be intimidating and all, even to a small town like this, so if you want, I mean, I can do that?” Why was he offering this. Lord have mercy.

Red nodded.

“Alright! I’ll see you at five then, uh, Red! Good luck with the farm and everything. Smell ya later.” Oh god, that sounded so lame.

It took every ounce of Blue’s self-control to not immediately sprint off in the opposite direction. Not that it mattered, seeing as his dignity was already in shreds.

The second he made it off the farmland, he realized he forgot to give Red the seeds.

**-line break-**

Red wondered if he did something wrong to make Blue so nervous. He wouldn’t even meet his eyes for most of the conversation, instead opting to stair at Red’s…chest?

Red sighed and walked back to the water pump. Each crank, the water came out a little clearer. But he still needed to test it.

He walked inside and to the bathroom. A few ragged towels were also leftover from whenever his own grandfather lived there. He wasn’t sure if it was safe to shower, but he was less sure he had a choice at this point. Sighing, he turned on the showerhead and let the water run for a while before stepping in and scrubbing down as fast as he could. The water felt like tiny icicles digging into his skin, and relief washed over him as soon as he stepped out. He walked into the tiny kitchen and pulled out an old notebook from his duffel bag to start listing things he’d need.

**-line break-**

Candice nuzzled her face into Maylene’s shoulder the second her wife walked behind the counter.

“Hey, off. The store’s still open,” Maylene laughed, pulling a boxcutter from the drawer.

“Well, Maylene, maybe we should close it down for the day,” Candice said, planting a kiss on Maylene’s temple. “And take some time for ourselves now that the kids-”

The bell on the door rang, and she suddenly shoved herself of Maylene and back behind the register. Maylene laughed and walked over to the most recent shipment. “Welcome!” she called.

A stranger walked in, dressed in a faded T-shirt, jeans, muddy sneakers and a red-and-white cap. Maylene looked at Candice in confusion, who gave her a knowing grin.

“Welcome!” Candice echoed. The stranger looked between the two of them, looking a little baffled and overwhelmed. “Are you new here?”

He nodded once, still standing in the doorway.

“Visiting?”

He shook his head.

“Oh! Well, not often we get someone new moving in. You need help finding anything?”

He shook his head once more, finally stepping out of the threshold and walking towards a random rack. Maylene tried to give him some space, but Candice was clearly openly staring at him. She tried to get her wife’s attention off of him, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The newcomer clearly felt lost in their crowded aisles, but eventually found his way to a 24-pack of water, a mop, some rags, wine, and a pack of bread and peanut butter. Real exciting stuff.

“So, what’s your name?” Candice asked as she updated the inventory on the computer.

“Uh, Red.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Red! And where are you from?”

He shrugged.

“You living with someone here?”

He shook his head.

“Huh. How’d you end up out here, then?”

“Candice, leave the poor boy alone! Red, don’t mind her. She’s too nosy.”

“Oh, _I’m_ the nosy one? Maylene, you’re sure one to talk. At least I’m open about my curiosity!”

Red managed to escape in the midst of the ensuing bickering, necessities clutched to his chest.

Some part of him wanted to explore town a bit more, but he already apparently stood out too much, and wandering around with a new mop would likely attract even more questions. Instead he opted to book it back to his rundown farm. Besides, he was supposed to meet Blue there in an hour, and it was a half hour walk back.

**-line break-**

Professor Oak studied his grandson who had come home immediately after talking to Red and was now pacing around the kitchen.

“Were you able to meet the new neighbor?” he finally asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yep,” Blue stated.

“And?”

Blue paused his pacing. “He’s a quiet guy. I invited him over for dinner tonight.”

“I see,” Oak said.

“I also invited Maylene, Brock, and Lenora, and I’m pretty sure they’ll also be bringing Candice and Dawn, unless Candice needs to watch their kids tonight.”

Oak chuckled. “Well, maybe you’ll trick him into thinking this town’s full of young people after all.”

“Yeah,” Blue said. Really, his hope was that the rest of them would end up talking enough that Red wouldn’t have to.

“Did he like the apricot seeds?”

Blue slammed a cabinet door shut. “Loved them.”

“Is that why they’re still sitting next to your bag in the living room?”

Blue groaned. “I’m going to give them to him before we leave for here.”

“Oh? You’re walking him here?”

“Yeah, I… didn’t want him to get lost or anything.”

“Blue.”

“I think we have some hamburgers in the garage. I can grill out. I think Brock said he was going to make some kind of salad thing and dessert, so that’ll work out. Maylene’ll probably just bring a bag of chips and soda and Lenora probably has some vegetarian crap-”

“Blue,” Professor Oak repeated, more firmly.

“What is it, Gramps?”

“This town is tiny. How would he get lost?”

“I don’t know! The farm’s a couple miles away.”

“It’s less than a mile and a half, and there’s a single road between it and town.”

Blue huffed and marched out. Professor Oak smiled and sipped his tea.

**-line break-**

Blue straightened out his shirt before knocking on Red’s door, quietly praying he didn’t come across like a complete idiot this time.

Red opened the door a moment later, looking much fresher than earlier today. The inside of the house looked dim, if slightly cleaner than expected.

“Hey! You ready to go?”

Red nodded and disappeared for a second, before returning with a wine bottle and stepping outside. Blue grinned at him.

“Oh, and before we get going – I forgot to give this to you earlier. It’s just something from me and my grandfather. Apricot seeds. Not sure what variety, really, and I don’t know if you were planning on growing fruit or anything, but if you are, apricots are great to start with!”

Red nodded and took the bag back inside before returning once more.

“All set?”

Red nodded again, and they started making their way down the road.

“Well, town’s pretty small, so I’m pretty sure you could’ve found your way to the lab on your own, but why walk alone, you know? It’s a beautiful evening,” Blue started. “Spring’s always beautiful here. Actually, most of the year is. I’m a little biased, I know, but as small as our town is, it’s not a bad place to live. Especially if you want to connect with nature. Are you from nearby?”

Red shook his head.

“From a big city?”

Red shrugged.

“Yeah. I travelled a lot for a while and spent a lot of time in cities. Took me a long time to realize I just missed being here,” Blue said. “Plus, my grandfather’s getting pretty old, you know? One of these days he’s gonna have a fall and someone’ll need to get him to help. I worried for a while too that he would be getting lonely down here since he’s been travelling less, but he’s been doing fine. Plenty of old folk to keep him company.”

They walked in silence, and Blue forced himself not to fidget. Silence is only awkward if you make it awkward, right?

“Have you, uh, farmed before?”

Red shook his head.

“New adventure. I like it. Whole life in the city then?”

Nod. Silence.

“What kind of wine’d you get?”

Red passed him the bottle, and Blue tried to not be too disappointed. It was cheap, to say the least.

But then, Red couldn’t have that much money if he was living… where he was.

Blue wondered how much the plot was worth, though. If the soil was good, farmland could be worth quite a bit. Maybe Red had just blown his savings on that.

“A good brand for the price,” Blue said at last. “You drink much?”

Red shook his head.

“Ah, well, that’ll change soon enough here,” Blue laughed. “Not much to do here on the weekends other than visit the saloon. It’s a lively place for a town this small. Has a little arcade, too. Not many like that left in the world. The owner, Jasmine, is pretty quiet, too. Maybe you two’d get along.” _Or just quietly stare at a wall together_ , Blue thought. _Wait, maybe that’s how he gets along with people?_

Blue braced himself as they entered town, mentally preparing for nosy friends to pester him and Red. Thankfully, it seemed the only people out this night were Agatha and Bertha, tending to the flowerbeds in the town center.

“’Evening!” he called as he passed.

“’Evening, dear! How’s your grandfather?” Bertha asked.

“I think you’d know, you just saw him yesterday!” he answered. Bertha laughed.

“I see you’ve got a friend! Is he from out of town?” she said, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Yeah, about a mile west of here,” Blue joked. “See you later!”

Red waved at them as they made their way down main avenue. Not unfriendly, Blue noted. Just quiet.

The pair rounded the corner, landing them in front of the Oak Labs.

“So Gramps and I live here,” Blue stated. “Pretty hard to miss. The house is attached to the side here. It’ll be a while before everyone else comes over, so you can just, uh, hang out while I grill. Unless you like grilling. We’ve got a dog too. Are you okay with dogs?”

Red nodded.

“Perfect. Her name’s Eevee, she’s a total sweetheart.”

Blue opened the door and followed Red inside. His grandfather, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen, along with Eevee. Blue wasn’t sure he wanted to walk through that introduction just yet.

“How about you set the wine down over there and we head out to the deck?” Blue offered. Red obediently set down the bottle and headed out to the deck with Blue.

“It’s been a long time since someone new has moved here,” Blue explained as he started up the grill. “Everyone I know here was born and raised here. Lots of people have been moving, too. I just moved back, though, last year. That, I swear, was the biggest event of the decade, though I suppose you might’ve just upstaged me. Just part of living in a small town, I guess.”

Red hummed, taking a seat on the bench. The sun was already starting to set in the distance.

“Is this a town?” Red asked a moment later, and Blue jumped at the sound of his voice.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Uh.” Red swallowed. “Is… is this not a village?”

Blue looked at him.

“Are you… are you calling me a _villager?_ ” he demanded.

Red smiled a bit and shrugged.

Blue scowled. “No, this is a town! It’s got town in the name! What, just because you’re from some far-off big city doesn’t mean this is a _village_.”

“Actually,” a voice from inside interrupted. “A town has at least a thousand people. We are in a village, Blue.”

Blue made a show of throwing down his spatula. “Lenora. How could you take his side? You want to be a villager?”

Lenora laughed and stepped outside. “Never,” she assured him. “Just making sure we all use proper terminology, as always.”

“Red,” Blue said, “this is Lenora, the librarian. She likes to think she’s right about everything but she’s not. Lenora, this is Red. He just moved to the farm out west. Be nice to him.”

“When have I ever been mean? Nice to meet you, Red.”

“When have you ever been nice?” Blue countered.

Lenora leaned against the railing. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe when you were ten and-”

“Recent examples only.”

“Okay, last week when you needed-”

“More recent.”

“Blue, I haven’t seen you all week.”

“Because you’re mean. Case settled.”

Lenora rolled her eyes. “How do you like it here, Red?”

Red shrugged.

“He’s had a long day,” Blue said “Just got here last night and has a lot of cleaning up to do out on the farm. Looks like it’s been a million years since anyone’s step foot over there.”

“Hmm. Do you have all the things you need to clean it up?”

Shrug.

“Well, if there’s anything any of us can do to help, do let us know. We’d be happy to make sure you get settled in.”

Red sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and Blue turned to Lenora.

“You bring any veggie burgers? I just have beef.”

“I brought some of my leftovers to heat up.”

“Alright, suit yourself. Wait, Red, are you a vegetarian?”

Red shook his head.

“Cool. Not a whole lot of vegetarian options in this town if you were.”

“There are plenty if you look,” Lenora argued.

“Look where? In the corners of Maylene and Candice’s basement? I know they say it’s storage, but I’m pretty sure it’s a sex dungeon.”

“Blue!”

Red smiled a bit.

“Have you met them yet, Red? They run the store up north in town.”

He nodded once.

“They should be here any moment,” Lenora said. “I think both are coming and Dawn’s watching their children.”

“Actually,” Maylene shouted, barreling through the door, a young girl on her shoulders, “they came too!”

“Oh god,” Blue mumbled.

“Ma said you would let us pet Eevee!” Iris stated. “Last time, she was sick, but I want to see her this time!”

“Eevee’s with Professor Oak right now,” Blue said. “They may come back later.”

“We’re going to have to leave at around 8,” Candice said, following her wife out to the deck, Joey clinging to her hand. “Geez, why are we out here guys? It’s getting dark, let’s go inside. I think I saw Brock on his way, too.”

“I’m still grilling.”

“Oh boohoo,” Candice said, rolling her eyes. “We aren’t here for you anyways. Red, good to see you again! Come inside, I want to hear all about your first day here!”

“Hey, go easy on him, it’s been a long day!”

“Oh, hush it,” Candice said, walking back inside. “Also – Lenora! I need some book recommendations for the kids. We’re finally growing out of the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar!”

Lenora grinned and followed Candice and Maylene back indoors, leaving Red and Blue alone.

“You can join them if you want,” Blue said after a moment. “Burgers are almost done.”

Red shrugged.

Blue wasn’t quite sure what that meant, and fell silent. He started piling the hamburgers onto a plate.

“They can be a lot, sometimes,” he finally said. “But they’re good people. Easiest to get the big introductions out of the way, right? And I’m sure they’ll talk so much that you won’t have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah everythings' gonna be named after a hozier song. there's like, very little actual connection between the chapters and the lyrics but that's what we're doing
> 
> anyways this is gonna be a long ride hopefully we'll reach the end lol


	2. Cherry Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But I want it  
> It's a crime  
> That she's not around most of the time

Nobody drank the wine, Red noticed, and desperately hoped they didn’t think poorly of him for bringing it. He didn’t know much about drinks, but his mom always had a bottle of that brand around for when guests came over.

Maybe his mom didn’t have good taste either.

Or they were just poor. That _was_ the cheapest brand the store here carried, after all.

Red ate too much. He always tried to keep food on his plate so he’d have something as an excuse for his lack of talking. Of course, that didn’t stop Candice from pestering him.

He liked her, though. She was clearly nice and had lots of funny stories. Her son, Joey, seemed well-mannered, if easily excitable. Iris was a bit more rowdy.

Red wondered how Ethan and Lyra’s daughter was doing. She would be two by now.

He wondered if they would care that he moved.

He should probably text them here, while he had reception.

“Oh, hey, Professor Oak!” Maylene shouted, shocking Red of out of his thoughts. “Welcome back! Want some dinner? We’ve got plenty!”

Blue’s grandfather walked into the kitchen, a Pomeranian trailing behind him.

“I might fix myself a plate, thank you!” he said kindly. “And you must be Red. My grandson was _very_ excited to meet you. I am Professor Oak,” he added, walking over to extend a hand out to Red.

Red shook it and nodded.

“Ah, a firm handshake. A good sign for a new neighbor. I hope you enjoy your life here in Pallet Town, Red. Our doors will always be open should you need anything.”

With that, the professor collected some dinner and headed upstairs. Blue rolled his eyes and Red stared at his plate while conversation continued around him. He wondered how tomorrow would go.

“Say, Red, how’s the plumbing in the house holding up?” Brock said after a moment.

Red liked Brock. He talked confidently and laughed loudly, always straight to the point. Red rocked his hand in a so-so gesture.

“Is the water there drinkable? I don’t think that anyone’s checked the well there in years,” Candice added. Red shrugged. “Did you test it?” Red shook his head. “Did you… did you _drink_ any?” Red shook his head harder.

“Candice, he bought a ton of water today. You were there,” Maylene laughed. “City boy here probably took one glance at whatever shi-” she cut herself off, glancing at Iris, who was half asleep on the table. “Uh, at whatever came out of the pump and figured out ‘not today.’”

“Gramps and I have test kits here,” Blue mentioned, leaning in towards Red as Maylene and Candice started bickering once more. “Water, soil, whatever you could think of. Let me know if you want any.”

Red shrugged again and dropped his gaze back down to his plate again. He didn’t want to inconvenience Blue’s family this much already.

“Here, I’ll get you some before you leave tonight. We’ve got piles. And if you need any treatment stuff, too, then we know some people developing some really cool smaller filtration systems. I know you have the space for whatever old junkers, but we can hook you up with something novel and quiet.”

Sounded expensive.

“Actually, I can come over this weekend and we can go through your current set-up and everything. I have some experience working with wells. Well, not a whole lot, it was just a few years back when I was out in the field in Galar near a farm studying – okay, well, that’s besides the point. Point is, I kinda know how wells work, and I can help you figure it out if you want.”

Red hunched his shoulders. Did he really seem so helpless?

“Hey, how about I come over Saturday morning and we can get some breakfast, take a look at how things are shaping up, run some soil tests, and maybe head to town for lunch.”

Blue paused, studying the look on Red’s face.

“Actually, you know what, I’ll just get you the tests now and stop by Saturday to see how things are going, alright? Don’t want my new neighbor getting too lonely or anything.”

**-line break-**

Red walked home in the dark, the bag of water test strips lightly tapping against his thigh which each step. Thoughts about dinner whirled through his mind, and his neck flushed with embarrassment. He had been so used to his life in the Radio Tower, he had forgotten how hard it was to interact with new people. They must all think he was stupid for being so quiet. Come to think of it, he didn’t think he managed a single word when the whole group was present. Just a few words to Blue before and after.

Goddammit. This was already off to a horrible start.

Blue must think him completely incompetent. Here he was, living in a rundown shack with no idea of what to do, while Blue was some world-famous researcher who has apparently seen half the world. Sure, he seemed happy enough with whatever Red said, but he seemed to be like that with everyone. Just a friendly, enthusiastic guy. Not like Red.

Red forced himself to breathe as he reached the farm and used the light of his phone to guide himself through the house and to his bed.

He forgot to text Ethan and Lyra.

Dammit.

Not like they would care, anyways.

Red’s heart ached. He wished his mom was still here. She’d understand.

How pathetic, to be thirty and still only be understood by your mother.

**-line break-**

“Gramps said you made a new friend!” Daisy cackled over the phone. “Is he cute? How old is he?”

“Daisy, shut up. About my age. And yeah, I guess.”

“You _guess_? Gramps said you seemed interested~”

“He’s the only new person to move here in, like, a decade, so yeah I’d say he’s interesting,” Blue snorted, adjusting the dial on the microscope. He put the next tree core sample in sight, tallying each ring he saw on a paper.

“What’s his name?”

“Red.”

“OH MY GOD you two have _color names!_ Oh, I can hear the wedding bells already.”

“Daisy, shut up.”

“When’s the last time you even dated? There was that professor in Unova.”

“I’m not dating Red. He literally just moved here. Can you not be weird, for, I don’t know, five minutes?”

“Gramps said you wouldn’t shut up about him! Blue, I’m just excited for you!”

“I’m glad that me meeting new people is such a newsworthy event.”

“This year, it is! You’ve just been all over the place doing crazy things for so long that it’s nice to hear that settling is working out.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, even if you don’t date him, I hope you two get along well. I know you hate me saying this, but you need to get married before it’s too late. You’re thirty now and haven’t even been in a committed relationship for years!”

“I’m well aware, Daisy. I’ve just been busy.”

“Busy my _ass_ , Blue. You live in _Pallet Town_. I could understand ‘busy’ as an excuse when you were, I don’t know, in the jungles of Hoenn doing god-knows-what, or when you were camping out at the edge of that volcano in Alola, but now you’re just puttering around with Gramps. Am I going to come home to two old men next month?”

“Just because I’m somewhere boring doesn’t mean I’m any less busy,” Blue said neutrally.

“You found dates all throughout that time and suddenly you go home and you’re ‘too busy,’” she mocked.

“There’s not exactly a big single scene here,” Blue argued. “And I’m just not really interested! I have other things to get done.”

“You say that now, but see where you are in a decade. Or two. Alone and childless.”

“Plenty of people lead happy lives single.”

“The village wives will gossip about you.”

“You think this is a village, too?!”

“Duh. Blue, what’s the population? Five hundred?”

“Oh my god I’m done talking to you.”

“Oooh, are you gonna go talk to Red?”

“ _No_ , I’m going to _work_.”

“I better meet him when I come visit. I’m bringing Bill, too, by the way.”

“I can’t believe you married a geek.”

“Says you! Bill is a good guy, and you know it.”

“Yeah, you two are really good together, Daisy. Okay. I gotta go now. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Perfect timing, Bill just finished making lunch. Buh-bye!”

Blue took a deep breath as he took out the next tree sample. He wondered if Red had any siblings, and if they were as close as him and Daisy. He figured that they would’ve come to help Red move if that were the case, unless they lived in different regions or something. Or that his parents would come, for that matter. Thirty or not, moving to a rundown farm was a big life decision.

Or maybe Red was running from his family. Or his previous life. Or something. Who knew with that guy.

**-line break-**

Red looked down at his kale seedlings with satisfaction. He had cleared out an even larger area and had neat rows of cauliflower, kale, parsnips, and potatoes.

Fertilizer would be added later, he figured, as the soil already had enough nutrients in it to get everything started. He’d also water the area with a sprinkler just attached to a hose. He tried digging around the area to see if there was any underground drip system but came up short. Thankfully, while the water wasn’t safe for drinking, it didn’t appear to have any lead or anything toxic that’d turn up in the crops.

He had also started fashioning trellises out of some of the debris he’d collected so he could start growing beans, too. Over the past couple days, he’d acquired some new tools, allowing him to fix up the house too. He was starting to really worry about money, but was doing fine living off of peanut butter, bread, and canned soup. It was like college all over again.

Except Blue was coming over tomorrow morning for breakfast, and that was still the only thing he had to offer. Red sighed. He didn’t even know what Blue liked to eat. He didn’t know how to make good breakfasts, either. He didn’t have eggs or milk or a functioning refrigerator to keep them in. The house still used a wood-burning stove, which Red was thankful for due to the continued lack of electricity.

Which, actually, he needed to address, soon. There was only so many times he could charge his extra battery during shopping runs.

Red sighed. At this rate, he’d probably need to take out a loan to get things moving here. Then he’d probably be able to get a lot more seeds and get the equipment needed to properly fix up his house and the chicken coop.

He looked off in the distance towards the direction of the coop. He really, really wanted chickens. Not sure why.

But at least for now he had some seeds planted. Plants were usually a good way to start a farm, right?

Red dropped his shovel and wiped his brow before grabbing his wallet and heading to town, wondering where he’d get the money for chickens.

**-line break-**

Blue rubbed the back of his neck as he stood outside Red’s door, realizing he had no actual clue what time Red got up in the morning. Farmers… usually woke up early, right?

The sun had literally just started rising as Blue left the house. Maybe he should have left a little bit later? But he didn’t want to wait in the house with his grandfather giving him that knowing look.

He heard some clanking noises from inside. Maybe that meant Red was up? He hesitantly knocked on the door.

More clanging and creaking floorboards, and Red threw the door open, eyes wide open, hair a complete mess, shirt on backwards.

Blue tried not to openly gawk.

“Hey! You’re awake,” he said after a beat, pushing his way inside. He kicked off his shoes and plopped down into a kitchen chair. “I worried you wouldn’t be up yet! I know I’m an early riser, wasn’t sure if you’d be too. Well, I kind of assumed you were, because, well, farm? But actually I just didn’t really know. So, glad you’re up!”

Red tiredly studied him for a moment before closing the door and walking over to the kitchen.

The shack seemed pretty cozy, if still incredibly rundown and fairly messy. The blanket sat askew on the bed in the corner, the tabletop clearly slanted, the bathroom door clung to its hinges for dear life. At the base of Red’s bed hung an old, beat-up duffel bag, clothes hanging out of it. Red’s signature cap rested on the table, and Blue took the time to appreciate Red’s bed hair without it. A few modern kitchen and cleaning tools looked wildly out of place in the ancient shack.

Overhead, some clouded lightbulbs unceremoniously hung from the ceiling. Blue flipped the light switch out of curiosity.

“No electricity?” he asked.

Red shook his head as he started a fire in the stove. Blue blinked. Wow, an actual wood-burning stove. He supposed that if someone were to be using something so archaic anywhere, they’d be in Pallet Town.

“You wanna fix that?”

“Eventually.” Blue grinned at the sound of Red’s voice.

“Yeah, suppose you got a lot to get done, don’t you? Well, my sister’s coming down next month with her husband. He’s an electrical engineer, together we can probably figure-”

“I’ll do it.”

Blue shrugged. “Alrighty then. By the way, how’s the water? Did the tests work?”

“Yeah. Too much iron, copper, and nitrates.”

“Well! That’s better than expected. I half expected this place to have lead plumbing, you know? Actually, wait, what was the chlorine level? Because if the chlorine level’s high, even if it’s safe to drink it can wear down the coating inside the pipe and release a bunch of lead anyways.”

“Chlorine level was fine.”

“No, I’m saying even if it’s safe to drink it can still be bad for the plumbing.”

Red silently pulled some vegetables from a cupboard and started chopping.

“I’m just saying to be careful, okay? Don’t need you dying from lead poisoning out here.”

Red turned to look at him, eyes boring straight into Blue’s. Blue grinned.

“Your shirt’s on backwards, Red.”

Red froze before looking down. Blue kept grinning. Red walked to the bathroom and slammed the door, re-emerging moments later with his shirt on properly and hair somehow more disheveled.

He walked back over to the kitchen and dumped the mix of vegetables into a pan alongside some chickpeas and oil. He stuck it onto a shelf in the stove, occasionally stirring it with a spatula.

“Say, you got any plans tonight? We could go down to the saloon. That’s where everyone spends their time. I’ve got a few friends there, too. Like Dawn. I thought she was going to join us for dinner the other night but was too busy. She’s super friendly. You’d like her.”

Red shrugged.

“Actually, after we’re finished up here, I could give you a real tour of town. Show you where to find everyone important.”

Red pulled the pan out of the stove and stuck it on the table. He opened another cabinet and pulled out a couple plates and some silverware, then dropped it on the table with little enthusiasm.

“You okay?”

Red nodded and fell into the chair.

“I mean, we don’t have to or anything. I understand if you’ve got things to do or are already sick of me. Doesn’t take people too long, usually.” Blue fought the urge to cross his fingers under the table and pray Red would go with him.

Red shrugged.

“I don’t speak shrug.”

Red scooped some food onto his plate. “I’ll go,” he said at last.

Blue internally celebrated and served himself some as well. “Great! I can show you the woods I’m studying, too. I’ve been working on studying this forest’s history and comparing how the forest down here near the ocean developed versus the one more up in the mountains and seeing how each reacted to events like fires. It’s been interesting work. Of course, I have to also help my grandfather with his work on slimes and taking samples to order for some other labs, so there’s plenty to show of that, too, if you’re not too into trees.”

Red took a bite of food.

“Actually, I could show you the mines today, instead. I worked in the mines a couple summers growing up. They’re pretty interesting, actually. Daisy, my sister, hates them. They’re full of bats and bugs and weird creatures, and they get pretty damp and gross. But ordinances in this region prevent the use of explosives or heavy machinery, so they’re pretty unique in that it’s fairly open for people to just go in with a permit and go digging for whatever. Obviously, the surface levels are pretty bare for that reason. Not too many people venture far down. It gets dangerous with all the monsters.”

Red nodded as he chewed.

“I actually made it halfway down to the bottom when I was a teenager,” Blue boasted. “Byron, the minekeeper, actually made it almost to the bottom once, we think. It’s kind of hard to say how deep they really go down. Nobody’s ever bothered to professionally check. But I mean, we can do the woods another day. The mines might actually be useful to you. Lots of good resources down there to help build up the farm. Also, if you find any gems, Byron’ll buy and resell them.”

Red gestured at Blue’s plate questioningly.

“Oh right, food.” Blue scooped some of the vegetable skillet onto his plate and took a bite. “Shit, that’s pretty good, Red. You cook much before?”

He shrugged.

“I didn’t peg you for the cooking type. You seemed like a, I don’t know, forever-bachelor sort of deal.”

“Basically was.”

“Huh. No girlfriend out in the city?”

Red shook his head.

“Crazy. Boyfriend?”

Red shook his head again.

“You?”

“Huh?” Blue asked, mouth full.

“Girlfriend?”

“Oh. No. Not for a while.”

Red nodded and they finished their meal in silence before heading out to the fields. Red gave Blue a short tour of the farm while they discussed the soil before heading towards town.

**-line break-**

Byron liked this Red kid. Tall, sturdy, quiet – just the kind of person this town needed, in Byron’s opinion. All action, really. Packing up his old life in a city to come rebuild a farm took some real guts, Byron thought, and he explained this enthusiastically to both Red and Blue. The former looked confused and the latter annoyed, not that Byron noticed.

“Really,” Byron continued. “Really, I’d love to have you come around the mines as often as you felt like, Red. Here, take some starter equipment. On the house. Tough people like you need a place to start, same as anyone else. And you just bring me some materials and I’ll upgrade your tools for free, you hear me? Farm tools, too. Just bring the things and say the word and I’ll do it.”

“Byron, that’s a terrible way to do business.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you and you grandfather were so good with finances now, Blue,” Byron guffawed. “No Blue, I’m just an old man looking at an honest, hard-working soul here. No. Red’s facing enough troubles already. Poor tools don’t need to add onto his stress. Ain’t that right, Red?”

“…” Red said.

“Exactly. Now, Blue, you be nice to him in the mine. Don’t go too far your first time, you hear me? I’m certain you’re plenty strong to explore far and wide, but the mines can get dangerous fast. Take it slow. Like drinking. Get black out wasted your first time in the bar and they’ll never take you back. You need to build that tolerance. Otherwise you’ll end up like Blue, here, unable to-”

“Beautiful analogy, Byron. I’m just gonna show Red the first level today, and then we’re stopping by the saloon later.”

“Well! I’ll see you both there, then. Wake and I always drink together Saturday nights.”

“The whole town drinks together Saturday nights.”

Byron laughed again, hearty and strong. “Guess you got a point there, Blue. You two have fun.”

Blue rolled his eyes as they walked outside. “God, he still talks to me like I’m sixteen sometimes.”

Red shrugged. He liked Byron, even if he had no clue what to make of any of that.

**-line break-**

The damp, chilliness of the mines clung to Red as he followed Blue down the ladder. Blue rambled on about bats as they wandered around.

“Now, this is just a quick tour, and like I said before, the earlier levels are pretty bare since so many people have been through, but I should at least show you how to properly use the pickaxe, right?” Blue said, setting his lantern down next to a ragged wall. “Looks like there might be some iron back a ways in here. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to reach it easily or not, but here, let me see your pickaxe for a moment, okay?”

Red handed it over, mentally preparing for disaster.

“Alright. You want a wide stance, and make sure your body’s aligned like this. You don’t want the pickaxe to bounce back and hit you in the face, but you’ll lose strength if you hold it out to your side like this.” Blue shifted around, glancing at Red. “You got this?”

Red nodded.

“Okay. So. Look where you want to hit, lift up, and brace for impact. See?”

Red nodded again.

“Then swing down, like this.” Blue heaved down, whacking the wall with all his might. A loud, ear-piercing clang echoed throughout the chamber, and somewhere in the distance, bats screeched in response.

A small piece of rock chipped off the wall. Red and Blue both stared at it.

“So, uh, yeah. Harder than it looks,” Blue continued. “Here, why don’t you give it a shot?”

Red took the pickaxe and assumed the same position Blue had moments earlier. He started to lift the pickaxe, but Blue cut him off.

“Not quite. Feet a little wider, and-” Blue gently touched his arms, maneuvering them back and forth slightly. “See? See, like this. Doesn’t that feel better?”

It felt exactly the same, because Blue moved his arms back to the same position they’d been in a moment ago. Red looked at him, unamused.

“It makes a difference! Trust me. But that’s a lot better stance for your first time!”

Red swung down the pickaxe with a loud _THUD,_ followed by the crash of a large piece of wall smashing against the ground. A faint, agitated sound of flapping wings fluttered in the distance. A thin coat of powdery rock settled on the two boys.

Blue stared.

Red set the pickaxe down.

“You got some good beginner’s luck there,” Blue said after a moment. “But we should probably get going before the bats catch up. Looks like you got some iron in there, though! That’s cool! Let’s take this over to the minecart.”

**-line break-**

Dawn grinned as Blue and Red took seats at the front of the bar. Red tried to not stare in shock. She looked immaculately groomed, dark blue hair pin-straight with tidy braids forming a crown starting from her temples. Wrinkle free, clean clothes complimented her hair, and her teeth were perfectly straight and extremely white. She cheerfully slid some menus their way as she continued chatting with another customer.

Blue elbowed him sharply in the side.

“Hey, what’s with you? You like Dawn?” Blue’s voice shook a little bit, not that Red noticed.

_Just thinking that I’m looking at someone far more suited to city life than I ever was._

Red shook his head and grabbed the menu with zero intention of ordering anything.

“Food’s on me tonight, alright? Get whatever you want. Brock’s the chef. Everything’s delicious.”

Red looked up at Blue, brow furrowed.

“What? You gave me breakfast, I give you dinner. Fair’s fair.”

Red sighed and looked at the menu again. Things didn’t seem too expensive, especially the spaghetti…

“And if you order pasta just because it’s cheap I’m going to beat you up out back.”

“I like pasta,” Red mumbled.

“Get something else, I swear to god.”

Red frowned at the menu. Moments later, Maylene slid into the seat next to him.

“Hey, what’s up?” she said. Red tensed a little bit. He still wasn’t sure if Maylene thought he was weird and awkward or not.

“…Not much,” he forced out. Maylene blinked.

“Oh! I didn’t know you- Oh, well nevermind. How’s the farm going?”

He shrugged and looked back to the menu. Maylene leaned back.

“Yo! Blue! Dinner’s on me tonight, alright?”

“Hey, I already said I’m paying for Red! I claimed it first!”

“Sucks to suck, man. Candice is taking the kids up to Pewter to go check out some rock museum this week, so I’ve gotta bribe _someone_ into hanging out with me.”

“Then I get us the food and you cover drinks, how bout that?”

“Deal.”

Red blinked.

“And Red, you make sure our drunk asses get home safe,” Maylene added, lightly nudging him. He rolled his eyes and she laughed.

Dawn stopped by moments later. “Hi guys! How’re you doing tonight?” she smiled.

“Not as good as you, seems like,” Blue commented. “You seem extra cheery.”

Dawn beamed. “Yeah! Well, I just got word this morning – I got into Jubilife School of Design! I mean, I’m going to do one more semester of online courses here and save up some before moving out, but you know! It’s been my dream to go to Sinnoh or Unova and get into fashion and marketing.”

Blue smiled back. “Dawn, that’s great! When do you leave?”

“Oh, probably December. I’m still trying to find an apartment out there and all that since I just got news this morning. I have a friend who lives there who’s helping me scout roommates and all that. So it just depends on when I can sign a lease and all that. But I’m not too worried – I’ve been preparing for this since forever, you know?”

“Is this why you missed dinner the other night?” Maylene demanded. “Working on college applications?”

Dawn giggled. “I was just celebrating some with my mom. I had an interview that morning. Tomorrow I need to talk with an advisor about transferring credits and what all I need to take next semester so I can start right on track, you know? I’ll be joining in a year and a half later than everyone else.”

Maylene grinned. “Make sure you don’t work yourself too hard though, Dawn. You’ve been giving it your all for a long time. I have no doubt you won’t be nearly as behind as you think.”

“I sure hope so, Maylene! Now, I gotta do my job, right? Jasmine can’t fire me now that I _know_ I need the money! What can I get you all tonight?”

“I’ll take the Dish of the Sea and a hard cherry seltzer,” Blue stated, passing over the menu.

“Hard seltzer? You little bitch,” Maylene teased. “I’ll take the spicy eel and whatever whiskey Brock recommends this weekend.”

“Look, just because I don’t like to drink piss-” Blue started, but Dawn hushed him.

“Hey, don’t bash any of our drinks!” Dawn chastised. “Alright, and what’d you like?”

Red’s mine blanked. “Spaghetti. And a seltzer, please.”

“Hard seltzer?”

“Yeah.”

“You 21?”

Red nodded. Dawn glanced at Blue, who nodded too.

“Dawn, he’s, like, thirty or something.”

“Just gotta check with the new people. Alright! I’ll get Brock right on that, then.”

Blue glanced at him after Dawn left. “I told you not to get pasta, you cheapass.”

Red shrugged.

Red took some time to appreciate the saloon as Maylene and Blue talked around him. Every table was full of chatting folks, the walls carefully decorated with heavy tapestries to dampen most of the sound, still giving each corner the feeling of intimacy. Arcade noises mingled with music behind the chatter, adding to the cozy excitement. The bar smelled strongly of cedar and frying fish, with kegs forming neat rows next to carefully organized shelves of fresh produce and loaves of bread.

It felt like the place his mom worked at when he was younger. He had hated it then, with all the crowds and loud noises, but now, after so much solitude, he appreciated the welcome atmosphere.

He recognized a few faces he’d seen over the past few days around town. The two old women he and Blue saw earlier looked like they were sharing some crab cakes with Mayor Fuji, quietly enjoying their evening in the loudest place in town. Byron was sitting further down the bar counter with a large, shirtless man built like a sumo wrestler, both loudly laughing and elbowing each other.

The food took a while to come out, but neither Blue nor Maylene seemed to mind. The spaghetti tasted better than any he’d had before, but he gave up on the seltzer after one sip. He had never been a fan of the taste of alcohol.

Dawn stopped by every now and then, sometimes to ask about the food, sometimes to gossip about some of the other townspeople, sometimes to just tease Maylene. She had been surprised to discover that Red had actually _moved_ to Pallet Town and wasn’t just there to visit someone.

“Well! If you ever need help with anything, just let me know! I live two blocks south of here, down near the beach. Stop by anytime, okay?”

Red smiled back at her, and Blue downed another seltzer.

**-line break-**

The lab building seemed to stare down at Red and Blue with judgment as the new farmer supported the entirety of Blue’s body weight. Dawn had offered to take Maylene home at the end of the night and watch after her so long as Red took watch over Blue. Red hadn’t thought that people still got trashed at their age – Ethan and Lyra had certainly grown out of it by their mid-twenties. But then again, this was Pallet Town, and according to Blue, people had nothing else to do. They certainly weren’t the only two heading home drunk, though they were probably the most gone.

Blue, unsurprisingly, rambled the whole way back. Red couldn’t figure out most of what he was saying but figured Blue wouldn’t want him to in the morning. Red, however, could not ignore the fact that Blue was blatantly attempting to grope him the entire way back.

He also figured that Blue’s grandfather was fast asleep and would _not_ want to handle Blue in this state, so Red would be spending the night.

Red dragged Blue up to the door and sighed.

“Keys,” he told the rambling Blue.

“Keys?” Blue slurred back.

“I need to unlock the door.”

“Wh-why’s the door locked?”

Red paused for a moment before trying the knob. Sure enough, it was unlocked. No alarm went off or anything. Nothing like the city.

“Where’s your room?” Red asked once they made it inside.

“We’re going to my room?” Blue asked. “W-wait, are we?”

“You need to go to bed.”

“You’re going to bed with me?”

“No.” Red was feeling more agitated.

“I’m upstairs!” Blue shouted. Red winced, hoping his grandfather wouldn’t wake up. This felt a lot like his year in college with Ethan.

Red tried to start walking up the stairs, but Blue nearly fell over after the first step. Red stared at his drunken companion, mentally trying to come to terms with their fate, before scooping Blue up, throwing him over his shoulder, and leaning against the railing while slowly making their way upstairs. Blue started grumbling, but Red was a bit past caring

“Bathroom,” Blue blurted out at the top, and Red wasted no time in diving into the first open door he saw.

Thank the lord it was the bathroom.

Blue, upon being dropped into the tub, immediately puked all over himself. Red sighed and helped him strip his shirt and pants off before grabbing the hand towel, damping it, and cleaning off Blue’s face. He filled a small paper cup with some water and held it to Blue’s lips.

“Drink,” he ordered.

Blue obediently sipped, eyes drooping. Red refilled it multiple times, and eventually brushed Blue’s teeth at his request, wondering how the hell his life came to this.

Red wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the vomit-stained clothes, so he just opted to hang them over the shower rod for now. He didn’t want to snoop around to find the laundry.

He waited a while to see if Blue would vomit again, but half an hour later and Blue was nothing but asleep.

Red dumped some water on his face to wake him up.

“Where’s your room?” he asked.

“I’ll show you!” Blue stated smartly. He managed to make it all the way to his feet before falling, Red stepping in just in time to prevent him from crashing against the wall. “This way!” Blue continued, unbothered.

They managed to make it into Blue’s room, where Red unceremoniously dropped Blue on his bed, maneuvered him into some semblance of a recovery position, before wondering where he should sleep. He didn’t want to go too far, in case Blue _did_ start throwing up again or needed water, but it seemed like the only area he had here was the floor.

He supposed there could be a guest bedroom somewhere, or a couch downstairs, but he didn’t want to go snooping around Blue’s house at 2am.

Red sighed. Floor it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah blue, red's got some real beginner's luck there
> 
> thanks to dannymals for editting!
> 
> 9 chapters drafted, the 10th started. it looks like we're going to land at about 15 total, but that could change
> 
> thank you for reading! :)


	3. It Will Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know who I am when I'm alone  
> Something else when I see you  
> You don't understand, you should never know  
> How easy you are to need
> 
> Don't let me in with with no intention to keep me  
> Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me  
> Honey don't feed me; I will come back

Blue awoke to a pounding headache and a strong need to go to the bathroom. Groaning, he flung his legs off the bed, slid to his feet, and immediately tripped and fell flat on his face.

He let out a choked gargle as something squirmed underneath him, and he pushed himself back up, rubbing his now throbbing nose.

Red eyes stared back up at him, tired and confused.

“…What,” Blue said dumbly. Red huffed and rolled over, burying his face into a pillow he must’ve stolen from Blue’s bed.

“Okay. Okay. You know what? I’m gonna go to the bathroom, and then I’m gonna process all this.”

Red made some noise of agreement as Blue stumbled down the hallway and into the bathroom. He crinkled his nose as he closed the door. The smell of vomit and alcohol clung to everything, apparently originating from Blue’s clothes from the day before, flung over the shower rod along with his grandfather’s favorite hand towel, currently covered in barf.

Blue wondered why fate was so cruel as he examined his reflection, bare save for a pair of boxers decorated with tiny smiling trees. He covered himself in an extra layer of towel before walking back to his room and pulling some fresh clothes out of his closet. Red appeared to be fast asleep on the floor once more. Blue considered moving him to the bed, but the guy had two inches and at least twenty pounds of muscle on him, so…

Blue ditched him to move the vomit-stained clothes into the laundry room before taking some pain meds and climbing into the shower in the hopes that it’d wash away his indignity. He hoped his grandfather was still asleep, unlikely as it was, and wouldn’t be around to make any comments about the situation.

He prayed he hadn’t said anything weird to Red the night before either. He remembered going off about his sister and Bill and marriage on the way home, but he didn’t remember Red responding. Maybe he hadn’t heard. Or, worse, he hadn’t cared.

Blue dried himself and dressed, running into his grandfather, naturally, the second he stepped out the bathroom door.

“Ah! Blue, why didn’t you tell me you were bringing Red over last night?” he asked, shit-eating grin smeared across his sturdy face.

“Shut it, Gramps.”

“You shouldn’t leave your guest alone so long! He got up a while ago, must’ve put his clothes from yesterday back on. I told him to go borrow some of your things. Poor man was still covered in dirt from yesterday!”

“He never took those clothes _off_ , Gramps,” Blue muttered, heading back to the bedroom. There sat Red, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, staring at his phone. Blue gulped.

“Hey.”

Red lifted his hand in a wave before going back to his phone.

“I think I’ve got some clothes that might fit you if you wanna borrow anything,” Blue said awkwardly. “Or take a shower. Probably got better water here than on the farm.”

Red looked up, eyebrows raised.

“Here, let’s find you something.” Blue walked over to his closet, sifting through neat rows of collared shirts, jeans, and slacks before reaching an old t-shirt-turned-pajama-shirt and baggy sweatpants. “Not the most fashionable, but at least something clean to wear for a while. I can throw your current clothes in the wash. If you stay for breakfast, they should be good a while after.”

Red looked back down at his phone.

“Or… you can just go now…?”

Red shrugged. “I’ll stay for breakfast. Thanks.” He accepted the clothes and walked out of the room.

“Leave your clothes outside the bathroom!” Blue shouted after him. He inwardly screamed. Did Red seem upset? Red was probably upset. He probably said something weird and stupid last night, and then Red had to take care of him after he threw up, and then Red had to sleep on the floor, and Red must just think he’s the most incompetent creep, and-

Red’s phone buzzed.

Blue twitched.

Well, Red probably already thought he was a creep, so what did it matter if he actually creeped a bit?

He picked up at the phone, which proudly displayed one unread notification.

**Ethan Gold-Hibiki: ok ttyl**

Blue swiped, bringing him to the passcode screen. He tentatively tried “1234.” Incorrect.

Blue sighed and set the phone back down before heading out to do Red’s laundry and start breakfast.

**-line break-**

Red stared at the lines of hair products and body washes lining the shower wall in bewilderment. What did Blue even actually use? Were these all his? Professor Oak didn’t seem like the type to keep so much product around.

Picking a shampoo at random, Red took a moment to appreciate the hot water against his skin and let it spray over his face. He really needed to get the hot water heater figured out back on the farm. He couldn’t handle many more freezing cold rinses or slow sponge baths from water he boiled in the kitchen.

He wondered if Ethan told Lyra yet about his move. Ethan had said they’d love to visit his new place sometime should Red ever get the space, but either way he was invited to come visit them in Blackthorn City whenever he felt like it.

Red wasn’t sure if the invitation was genuine or if Ethan was just being polite. Either way, he figured he might head out this winter, once things at the farm died down. He definitely didn’t want to spend the coldest months of the year in that little shack.

Speaking of, he should probably add insulation to the list of to-dos.

Today he intended to talk to Maylene about ordering a water filtration system, take a look at the wiring in the house, and plant beans on the trellises once he got back to the farm.

Unless Blue dragged him off to go do something else. Red silently hoped they wouldn’t be going to the saloon to drink again. As much as he liked it there, he wasn’t particularly excited to carry Blue back home again. Who even did that to someone they just met?

Red wasn’t sure if it was just sheer boredom pushing Blue to spend all this time with him or what, but he appreciated how enthusiastic he and all the other townspeople were about offering their help. Even if it felt a little patronizing.

He wasn’t completely incapable, after all. He’d made it on his own for years, helped his mother clean up condemned apartments more than once growing up and figured out how to navigate a lot of the intricacies of adulthood with little to no assistance. But the townspeople had no real way of knowing that, did they?

They probably thought he was stupid and strange. How many more times would he be reminded that nobody new ever moved in?

Maybe they were all just bored. Bored and wanting to get to know the new freak who took up residence in a shack.

Red let himself stew on these thoughts for a while longer before stepping out of the shower and drying off. He couldn’t see his reflection through the steam on the mirror, so he just scrubbed his hair with a towel and ran his fingers through it a few times, hoping it’d sit flat enough. He pulled on Blue’s shirt, proudly stating him to be a “Lumiose Lighter,” and the sweatpants before making his way downstairs.

Blue stared as he walked into the kitchen. Red shifted uncomfortably.

“I made pancakes,” Blue offered after a moment. “Best hangover food. I mean, I know you didn’t really drink last night, but dealing with me makes you worthy anyways.”

Red accepted the plate Blue handed to him and took a seat at the table.

“Also, anything I said last night,” Blue continued, “while inebriated… don’t worry about it! I ramble a lot when drunk. And normally I don’t drink that much, Maylene just has a habit of egging us both on.”

Red shrugged as he cut his food.

“Any big plans for today?”

“Water filtration.”

“Exciting stuff! Have you thought at all about my offer before? I know some people who’re working on some cool new stuff, and-”

“I already picked a model. Maylene offered to get it ordered for me.”

Red hazarded a glance at Blue’s face, which mirrored that of a kicked puppy.

“Right, right. You’ve probably been putting a lot of time into this already.”

Actually, Red had just gone to the library computer lab and searched for water filtration systems two days ago and picked the cheapest one with at least three and a half star reviews.

“But if you ever want any advice or help or anything, just let me know. I’m great with all this stuff, and these are all things you want to do right.”

“I’m capable.”

“Yeah! Yeah, I know that. I don’t mean to imply that you’re not. I just think that help never hurts, is all. You also just seem like the kind of person who insists on doing everything themselves, and I was like that for a long time too, but it’s always okay to lean on others. That’s important, especially when you live in a place like this. No man is an island.”

Red picked some raspberries from the bowl in the middle of the table and dumped them on his remaining pancake.

“It actually got me into huge trouble when I spent a year in Hoenn. I forgot to bring bug spray and refused to ask any of my companions for some and basically got eaten alive. And then I dropped my iodine pellets into a stream, and got sick drinking unfiltered water. I also sweat out just about every drop of water I did drink because I didn’t pack appropriate clothes. You know, that entire trip was basically a huge lesson in asking for help. Not that I would have ever admitted at the time.”

Red finished his breakfast and pushed his plate away. Blue sighed.

“Red, just promise me you’ll ask for help if you need it, alright?”

“I’m asking Maylene for help,” Red muttered.

“Yeah, but I’m-” Blue started, then cut himself off. “Right. Right. You do that, then. But I’m here for you, too.”

_Why is everyone here so insistent on helping?_ Red mused. Moments later, the front door creaked open, and Professor Oak entered with their dog, Eevee, at his side. The Pomeranian darted into the kitchen, tail wagging happily, and walked straight past Blue up to Red. He gingerly reached down to pet it.

“Red! I see you found something that fits. You know, Blue was supposed to be about your height, but he stopped growing his sophomore year of high school. Bummer he didn’t have anything, ah, nicer for you.”

Red shrugged and kneeled down to pet Eevee more. Eevee let out a soft yip and shoved her head into his hand.

“Gramps, it’s just while his clothes dry. And shut up about my height, I still got you beat.”

“Barely.”

“Speaking of, I think your clothes should be almost dry by now. Let me go check and you can get on your way,” Blue said, heading towards the laundry room.

“You better have cleaned my hand towel, too,” Professor Oak called after him.

Red heard a door slam and the professor laughed.

“I hope he hasn’t been too much of a nuisance. Thank you for making sure he got home safely last night,” Oak said, addressing Red directly. “He doesn’t do this too often, I promise.”

Red shrugged again as Eevee rolled over, tongue dangling out her mouth. He rubbed her belly.

“If you ever find yourself stuck here overnight again, though, we do have a guest room. It’s right next to Blue’s.”

“Thanks,” Red mumbled, his entire focus directed towards Eevee.

“Of course, son. Thank you again for watching after my fright of a grandson.”

“I heard that, Gramps!” Blue called from the laundry room.

**-line break-**

Dawn leaned against the counter, chatting with Maylene, as Red walked into the store. Maylene had her head buried in her hands and the lights dimmed while Dawn chattered on about various hangover cures her friend in Jubilife recommended.

“Save me,” Maylene croaked, lifting her head at the sound of the doorbell ringing. “Red, my head is killing me. And Dawn’s helping it.”

Dawn giggled. “Maylene, this wouldn’t have happened if you had stopped when I said to. Gosh, you should be thankful it’s me you’re dealing with this morning and not Candice.”

“My loving wife would pity me.”

“Your loving wife would’ve woken you up with a cold bucket of water and made you run a lap!”

“And then let me lay in bed in peace…”

“Well, if cold water, a lap, and a nap are what you want, I’ll go get a bucket started,” Dawn teased, pushing herself up straight.

“Noooo,” Maylene groaned. “Red, make her stop.”

Red looked at Dawn. Dawn chuckled.

“Red, did you need anything?” she asked. “Is Blue alright?”

Red nodded. “I’m ordering the water filtration system today.”

Maylene stood up a bit straighter. “Right, almost forgot about that. We get a 15% discount since we’re friends with a rep at the supplier.”

“How’d Candice manage that?” Dawn asked.

“Shush, Dawn, she doesn’t do _all_ the negotiations.”

“Right,” Dawn said. “Just most.”

“I do all the inventory, okay??”

Dawn smiled and poked Maylene in the forehead. Maylene glared back.

“Okay Red, let’s get this done before Dawn somehow ruins it,” she muttered. “You said you had a model in mind? I’ve got an old catalog here. If it’s in here, we can get the discount and charge you the listed price. If not, we may have to order it through a store in Viridian at a pretty decent mark-up.”

Red accepted the catalog, squinting at the numbers in the dark. Thankfully, the one he’d seen two days before was listed. He pointed and passed it back.

“Red, that one’s a piece of shit. For literally a hundred more you can get this one. This is what Milo and Whitney used to have, and it did well for a decade. They also live out on a farm. Well, ranch. Same difference,” Maylene explained. Red hummed. “Look, it may cost a bit more up front, but it’s going to save you a lot of time and stress in the long run since I doubt you’ll have to fix it.”

Red shrugged.

“You want this one, then?”

“The better one.”

Maylene nodded. “Great, I’ll go call the supplier. Tell anyone who comes in I’ll be back out in a minute.”

“Will do,” Dawn stated, mock saluting. Red smiled a bit.

“So, Blue made it home alright?” Dawn asked as Maylene headed into the back room. Red nodded. “You spend the night?” Another nod. “He’s a bit of an idiot sometimes, isn’t he?” Shrug. “He said you were from a city, is that right?” Nod. “City life not for you?” Shrug. “Hm. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I’m pretty excited to leave and go do something else. This town starts to wear on you, you know? Nothing ever changes. It just slowly… falls apart. Hard to notice unless you’re really taking note. I think Blue was shocked after he came back home to see how much things have fallen apart.

“It’s like, I got a scholarship to go to a private school in Jubilife for a couple years. That’s how I ended up making friends there and deciding to try to go to college there and all, right? Well. Within those two years, I thought I’d be missing so much. But I really didn’t miss out on anything. I mean, Maylene and Candice married the month before I left, and they’d adopted Joey by the time I got back. That was the biggest change. Everything else just kinda… stayed the same. Except the houses were two years older, a family moved out and their place basically was in shambles, and everyone’s property value dropped.” Dawn chuckled. “I know a lot of people here think I’m crazy for deciding to go live in some big, far-off city, but I think everyone gets the desire to move on, you know? Soon there just won’t be enough of this town left for anybody.”

Red hummed and leaned back.

“I don’t mean to be all depressing about this town to someone who just moved here, though!” Dawn hurriedly corrected. “It’s just, you know, a lot of the old-timers don’t like to hear about how everything’s falling apart here. And I know you must have a good reason for wanting to come here. Really, it’s not a bad place to live. The people are friendly, we have a kind culture, and the region has a lot of history. And hey, maybe if the word somehow reached someone like you that we’re out here, maybe traffic will pick up one day. Our harvest festival still attracts plenty of tourists, after all!

“I guess I just still feel the need to justify my leaving, you know? I do love this town. It holds so many memories. I wish its future wasn’t so dim.”

Red nodded and looked at her. “…I get it,” he said after a moment.

Dawn looked at him in surprise. “You… you do?”

He nodded again as Maylene walked back in.

“It’ll be here Friday,” she said. “If you want, you can pay everything upfront now, or we can set up a payment plan.”

“Maylene, shouldn’t you have don this _before_ you placed the order? Red could easily just, like, not pay now.”

“Shuddup Dawn, I run my business how I feel like. What’ll it be, Red?”

“…Payment plan.”

“Cool. We can do a hundred a month for a couple years, or two hundred for a year, or actually whatever you feel like. Minimum payment’s a hundred, though. Well, maybe eighty, because I like you. Or you can start on a hundred and switch. Whatever, honestly.”

“I’ll start with a hundred.”

“Perfect. Let me write up the order, and you’ll just need to sign and make your first payment here.”

Red signed the receipt once she brought it out and pocketed the plan details, which Maylene eloquently wrote out as “$100/month or whatever the fuck until it’s paid.”

The walk home to the farm gave Red some much needed peace to collect his thoughts. He’d never had to watch his hometown fall apart, not in the way the people here did, but he did understand what Dawn was saying. Goldenrod constantly had people coming and going, but the apartments and houses he spent his childhood in always felt anxious. Not the same kind of anxiousness buried in Pallet, but one sitting right at the surface. The constant hope and need to move on, find a better opportunity, move the kids somewhere safer, get somewhere with cheaper rent.

Goldenrod was bursting full of opportunity just outside everyone’s reach.

Pallet, meanwhile, had little opportunity left. Whatever came up, people must cling to. But tempting offers just beyond the horizon drew people away.

Red stopped in front of his little farm shack. Here was an opportunity nobody had claimed for years. But now he was here, denied all those opportunities in the city, given the chance to take one of the precious few left here.

He got to work putting up trellises.

**-line break-**

Blue hated e-mails. Especially ones from his grandfather, who could easily just walk the twenty feet across the lab and tell him the information in person. So Blue got up and went to inform his grandfather of this.

“Blue, last time I did that, you told me to just send an e-mail so you’d have it in writing,” Gramps said, gaze still set on the documents in front of him. “By the way, were you able to get the most recent slime readings?”

“Yes, I e-mailed them to you on Fri- oh just forget it,” Blue huffed. “I’m doing grass samples today.”

“Over by the farm?”

“No. The clearing behind the mines.”

“Will Red join you?”

“Red has work to do, Gramps, and so do I.”

“He seems like a nice boy. Strong and silent type.”

“Bye, Gramps.”

He threw on a jacket and headed outside, just to get tackled to the ground by two kids.

“Blue!” Rosa cheered, squeezing Blue. “I got to you first, right?”

“Nuh-uh,” Nate complained. “I beat you!”

Blue looked down. “Looks like Rosa’s the winner here, her arms are under yours, Nate.” He groaned. “And I’m the loser.”

“Nate! Rosa! Get off of him,” Milo’s worried voice grumbled. “You can’t just run into people without warning like that!”

“But it’s Bluuueeee, he said he can take anything!” Rosa complained, obediently rolling off of him. Nate, however, did not let go.

“You two are too tough for me, though,” Blue said, pushing himself and Nate into a sitting position. “Now, I need to get to work, alright? You be nice to do your dad.”

“No!” Nate shouted. “I got you first!”

“And work gets me second, and it’s work’s turn now,” Blue stated, trying to pull Nate’s arms off of him. The eight year old just clung tighter.

“Now, Nate,” Milo ordered.

“Here, if you let me go now, I’ll take you to see the slimes next week, alright?” Blue bargained, trying to at least climb to his feet.

“No you won’t! You said that last time!”

“Yeah, you liar!” Rosa added.

Blue silently begged for mercy.

“Well, if you don’t let go, I’m _never_ going to take you.” Maybe threats would work? Blue sucked at kids.

“No!”

“Nate, if you don’t let go of him right now, we’re not going to get ice cream. In fact, we’ll just go straight back home.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong,” Rosa argued.

Blue would pity Milo, but figured it was his own fault for having kids in the first place.

“I’m going to count to three,” Milo said. “Oooone, twoooo…”

Nate detached himself from Blue, sulking.

“Hey bud, it’s okay,” Blue said in a meek attempt to console the child. “Now, I need to go do some work, but if your parents tell me you’ve behaved for the whole week, I’ll stop by your house Friday and take you to see the slimes, okay?”

Nate pouted.

“Can I come toooo?” Rosa asked.

“Well, if your parents say you’ve been good and did all your, uh, homework, then yeah,” Blue said. “Now, I gotta go.”

“Wait! Dad said we got a new neighbor!”

Oh lord.

“Yes, we did! He’s very nice,” Blue said. “He lives on the farm.”

“Dad, can we go see him? Pleeeaaase?” Rosa begged, and Blue took his chance to escape.

**-line break-**

Red studied the dilapidated chicken coop, hands on his hips, cap turned backward. The sun just started rising, rays making their way through the trees and highlighting his latest challenge.

The chickens would be his.

He started by pulling up the weeds at the base of the short wire fence, ignoring the jimsonweed pods that stuck to his pants, before moving onto examining the old, warped structure.

He already planned to sand down and re-finish the floors of the shack, so once he got the equipment for that, he could probably salvage most of the boards making up the coop. However, there were enough problems with it that it would probably be best to tear the whole thing apart and rebuild it.

Byron had sent him home with a power drill, a crowbar, a hammer, and an axe. Time to put them to the test. And hopefully not break anything Byron lent him.

He started with prying off the boards covering the entrance and was immediately greeted with a loud squelch. Two beady eyes in a glowing green body stared at Red.

Red blinked.

Maybe he’d spend the day mining, instead. Blue had said it was a good way to make money, right?

**-line break-**

Red didn’t know really what to make of it when Byron handed him a sword “for the lower levels” until he found himself face-to-face with a golem. How the hell did that even work?

He made sure to loot it for coal, though, and continued hammering away at the wall. He’d seen a glint of blue before, and – and wow, that was a lot of aquamarine. Red grunted as he picked up the sizeable chunk of ore filled with the glittering gemstone and heaved it into the minecart. He’d found a decent pile of geodes, coal, and iron throughout the day, but the aquamarine would definitely bring in the most cash. Plus, it was blue, and he really should give Blue a gift sometime as thanks.

Sweat beaded against his temple as he leaned against the cart. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but he could probably make it down one more level. After all, he didn’t have enough aquamarine to sell _and_ gift to Blue. Also, Byron had been nice enough to unlock the elevator for him to level 65 today, so he might as well make the most of the deep mines.

**-line break-**

Blue started the trek home when a grunt caught him off guard. He turned to the mine entrance, just to see the minecart, stacked full of aquamarine, slowly creaked along the track. Red followed moments later, decorated with blood and soot, a sword and pickaxe in either hand.

Blue’s jaw dropped as the weirdest mixture of arousal and concern climbed from his gut to his chest.

“Red?” he called, dropping his bag and heading over. “Red, are you alright?”

Red nodded, falling to his knees.

“Really? Because you don’t look alright. Actually, you look like shit.” Actually, he looked pretty hot.

“’m fine,” Red muttered. He took a deep breath and tried to wipe his grimey face with his equally grimey arm, successfully smudging all the shit on both of them together. He groaned.

“Here, let me help you up. Are you taking all this to Byron? I didn’t know you were mining today, I would’ve joined you-”

“Just need a second.”

“Of course. Here, you want some water?” He offered his bottle to Red, who immediately chugged the last of it. “How deep did you go?”

“Dunno. Took the elevator.”

“…What monsters did you see?”

Red shrugged.

“Jesus, Red, you could’ve died!”

Red leaned his head against Blue’s leg. “Most of ‘em didn’t notice me. Too quiet.”

“You were… using a pickaxe. That’s not quiet.”

“I blend in.”

Blue sighed. “Don’t go that far alone next time, alright?”

“Byron said it’d be fine.”

“Byron’s an- oh god, Red. Can you stand up?”

Red nodded and reached for the minecart to steady himself. However, it started to roll away at the slightest touch, leaving Red gripping onto Blue instead. Blue wasn’t sure if he should appreciate the contact or be grossed out from all the… grossness, he supposed, on Red.

“Just a scratch here,” Red said after a moment. He lifted his shirt, revealing a poorly damaged cut running from his chest to his waist.

“That’s… that’s not just a scratch,” Blue said. “Dude, we need to get you to the clinic.”

Red shook his head. “Byron first.”

Blue gaped at him. “Red, you’re injured. Pretty badly. And exhausted. Byron can wait.”

Red stubbornly shook his head. Blue sighed.

“Fine.”

Red leaned against the minecart, slowly pushing it while Blue carried the pickaxe and sword behind him, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to say to the idiot minekeeper once they reached his store.

Byron, however, didn’t seem to see a problem with Red’s state.

“Red! My boy, this is incredible! I thought you’d just be down around level twenty, but… aquamarine? You reached the frozen levels! I knew you were a sturdy guy. We can sell all this on the market bigtime.”

Red beamed. Blue wanted to hit something.

“Hell, Red, if I knew you were going down that far I would’ve set you up with some better equipment. The dust sprites and bats down there can get pretty vicious. Looks like you fought their fair share of them, kid.”

Red shrugged, wincing a bit as it agitated his cut.

“You goin’ to get patched up after this?”

“Yes,” Blue stated curtly.

“Alrighty, that’s a good plan. I’ll put this in a locker for you and we can walk through how much I’ll give you for it tomorrow morning, when you’re fresh. No good doing these talks when you’re too tired to think.”

Red nodded, and watched as Byron emptied the contents of the cart onto a scale in front of him.

“40lb of merch. You write that down so I can’t rip you off tomorrow, alright?”

Red nodded again.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, kid. Make sure he gets cleaned up right, Blue.”

Blue scowled and opened the door for Red. Once outside, the taller man stretched and looked at his companion with a self-satisfied smirk.

“You goddamn idiot,” Blue muttered. “Let’s get you to the clinic.”

They walked in silence, Red in a considerably good mood considering his current state, Blue in a considerably bad one. Blue told himself he’d ditch Red the second he made sure he was settled into the clinic – he had better things to do than babysit him after all, but that plan crumbled the second they reached the door and Red nudged him.

“What?” he demanded.

Red pulled a small aquamarine from his pocket, rounded at one end and sharp on the other, and passed it to him.

“For you,” he said.

Blue stared at him.

“Because it’s blue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blue your husband is an idiot and will do whatever he feels like at any given moment
> 
> anyways - good news! the whole story is now drafted save the epilogue. now it's just editing :) will keep updating as soon as things are ready to go


	4. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But in all the world  
> There is one lover worthy of her  
> With as many souls claimed as she
> 
> But for all he's worth  
> He still shatters always on her earth  
> The cause of every tear she'd ever weep
> 
> Rushing to shore to meet her  
> Foaming with loneliness…

Nurse Joy tsked as she examined Red’s poor bandage job while Blue watched, arms crossed. Bright white light accented the soft features of her face, now set into a mask of motherly concern. Posters of various body parts and their anatomy decorated the walls and a model of the inner ear sat on a counter next to the sink. Jars of cotton swabs, q-tips, and adhesive bandages line the wall behind the sink, next to them sitting a small bobblehead of a nurse. Someone had apparently tried to paint its hair pink, but most of the paint had chipped off to reveal brown underneath.

“You won’t need stitches, but you _will_ need to keep it clean and covered for the next few days or risk infection. You do _not_ want something this big on your chest getting infected, either. I’m going to pull the bandage off and rinse it now,” she stated. “This will hurt.”

Red gritted his teeth, knuckles turning white as he gripped the patient seat while Joy carefully swabbed the length of the cut with alcohol and antiseptics. Blue tried not to wince as he watched, determined to stay stern.

Joy then gently unrolled fresh gauze against the cut, lining the edges with surgical tape to hold it tight.

“You’ll need to replace the gauze tomorrow morning. Do you have some, or do you need some?”

Red looked down.

“He needs some,” Blue said.

Joy nodded, pulling a roll out of a drawer. “This should be enough for the week. Come back afterwards and we’ll see how it’s doing. If you notice it changes color or there’s any pus, come back immediately and we’ll get you on some antibiotics. _Immediately._ ”

Red nodded.

“And with that, you’re good to go!”

“…How much?” Red asked, standing up.

“I beg your pardon?” Nurse Joy asked.

“How much does this cost?” Red repeated.

Joy frowned. “Health care is free in Kanto, Red.”

Red looked at his feet. “Ah.”

Joy turned to Blue. “I’m not sure if you can really be trusted with this, but try to see him home safe, alright?”

Blue scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just do it.”

Red left his shirt off as they walked out of the clinic and down the road to the farm. It took all of Blue’s self control not to ogle him. But what a sight he made, gently glowing in the setting sun.

“You study slimes,” Red said after a while, deep voice cutting through the quiet music of the evening.

Blue glanced at him. “Yeah, my grandfather’s working on a paper about slime anatomy and behavior. I collect samples and help with field notes. Why do you ask?” Well, he didn’t ask.

“There’s slimes in my chicken coop.”

“Ah. I’m assuming you want them gone?”

Red shrugged. “I need to fix the coop.”

“And… then keep slimes in it?”

Red turned his gaze towards the horizon. “Maybe. Maybe chickens.”

“I would suggest chickens.”

“Maybe both.”

“I would strongly suggest not keeping slimes and chickens together.”

Red shrugged.

“I can probably get the slimes out, if you want. Any idea how many there are?”

Red shook his head.

“Well, if it’s just a few, I can probably box them up and give them to my grandfather. He can figure out what to do with them.”

“They’ll be okay?”

Blue looked at him to see if he was joking. Red looked dead serious.

“You just spent hours killing god-knows-what in the mines and now you’re worried about _slimes_?”

Red shrugged. Blue sighed.

“Yeah Red, they’ll be fine. They’re slimes. It takes a lot to make a slime _not_ okay.”

Red nodded.

“Do you want me to take a look at it before I head back?”

He nodded again, and they walked through the fields to the coop. Blue noted the slow progress Red had clearly been making in his fields. Little sprouts poked through the freshly tilled soil, all lined up tidy rows with clear labels at the end of each one.

Blue studied the coop, wondering what it’d look like once Red was done with it, while Red grabbed a crowbar and walked up to the broken ramp and boarded entrance. He pried a board off and beckoned Blue to come closer.

Inside, Blue saw the familiar green glowing of a slime. Its black, dull eyes focused on him. It must have been pretty big as Blue couldn’t see anything around it.

“Huh. I can’t tell how many are in there, but at least one is large. I’ll see what kinda kennels we have and meet you at Byron’s tomorrow. We can partner up and hopefully get this guy and his friends put away, alright?”

Red nodded.

“Get some good rest and don’t do anything else stupid, okay? See you tomorrow.”

**-line break-**

“So,” Byron continued, “once you add the coal and amethyst found in the geodes, the total comes to… $3,523. And I’ll be trying to resell it all for about $6 or $7k, understand?” Red’s findings from the previous day sat sorted neatly besides them. After the two had chipped off most of the slag, Red noted he had found much less valuable material than originally thought.

Still, he couldn’t say he’d ever come anywhere close to making $3,523 in a day before in his life. Maybe he ought to quit the farm and just dedicate his life to mining.

Red nodded.

“That seem fair to you?”

Red nodded again. Byron studied him a moment, heavy body braced against the table. Red wondered what he was thinking.

“I’ll round it to $3,600. You feel free to go mining anytime, you hear?” He signed a check and handed it to Red. “And if you’re going deeper, I’ll lend you equipment for free for now. Until you get your footing here.”

“Thanks,” Red said, looking at the check.

“’Course. This town needs more honest, hardworking folk like you.”

Red paused to scan the check with his phone and do a mobile deposit before stepping outside to where Blue was leaning, arms crossed, against a stack of increasingly sized kennels and boxes.

“How’s your cut?” Blue asked, straightening.

Red shrugged.

“Well, good as expected then, I guess. Here, can you carry these two? Then I can put these in the big one, which I just need to unlock the wheels for…”

Red took the offered kennels and watched with amusement as Blue tried to wrench the wheel lock on the box and force the handle up. He gave his companion about three minutes of suffering before walking over and clicking the lock out of place and adjusting the handle.

Blue scowled. “I had that.”

Red nodded and started walking towards the farm, Blue trailing behind him.

“So, here’s how it’s going to work,” Blue started once they reached the road. “You’re going to pry the last couple boards off. They may or may not come out immediately, but we’re going to give them space. They’ll be trapped within the fence, anyways. Once I get a decent count of how many there are, I’m going to spray some pheromone into the necessary kennels and set them in the fence boundaries. Slimes are pretty stupid, so it’ll likely take them a while to get into the kennel. Then we just close the door behind them and we’re golden. Just be careful when we carry them back to not let them put too much pressure on the grate, as that could make them drip. I mean, it’s not a huge deal if they do, it just could attract more slimes later, which I don’t think you want.” Blue looked at Red. “Unless you do.”

Red shook his head.

“Good. If any of them get out of the fencing, that’s not a huge deal either. You just kinda… kick them back in. It looked like a green slime, and those are fairly harmless. I mean, if you piss them off and lunge at you they can knock you to the ground pretty easily, and if they get on your face you can suffocate, but that’d be pretty difficult. Don’t put the slime close to your face, actually. If any slime gets up your nose or into your mouth it’s hell to clean out later and burns like hell. I think prolonged exposure can result in a chemical burn since they are fairly acidic, but it’s usually not bad enough to feel unless they’re there for, you know, a while.

“We had an intern here last summer who actually got slime stuck in his ear. We got it off him before it could get deep enough to do any damage to his eardrum, but I think his sense of balance was fucked for a while. He’s fine now, though. Lots of appointments and paperwork for us. But I guess if you get injured, we’re not liable, right?”

Red glanced back at Blue, unamused.

The two of them crossed through the fields over to the coop, the earth soft under their feet. Red enjoyed the fresh air on the farm. He hadn’t realized how unclean Goldenrod felt until coming here, where everything felt wholesome and natural.

The coop smelled lightly of slime and decaying wood, significantly less pleasant than the rest of the farm, but, Red figured, still preferable to the scent of hand sanitizer, smoke, and burnt wires in Radio Tower.

Blue watched while Red picked up the crowbar and got to work prying the boards off. Red grunted as he shoved his body weight behind the crowbar, wedging it between top board and coop wall, and thrust forward to crack it off of the coop. Once one side was detached, he gave the board a single yank, detaching it entirely. He repeated the process for the remaining three boards. The slime, the same big one that had been blocking the entrance yesterday, squelched with interest.

However, it didn’t budge even once all the boards were removed.

“Maybe it’s too big to even squeeze through the entrance? They should be able to fit into a space about a third their size without experiencing any pain.” Blue wondered aloud. “There could be more back there, though. Slimes aren’t solitary creatures. I don’t think it would grow here this big alone. Red, we might need to take off the boards around the entrance too.”

Red frowned at the slime. It gazed back.

The entrance was framed with thicker wood than the surrounding panels that made up the coop wall, appearing to be attached at the entrance corners. Red went to work with the crowbar once more.

The slime still could not fit through the enlarged entrance. So Red removed the panels to the side of the entrance.

It still would not budge.

“Maybe… try the roof?” Blue suggested. “Just so we can see how big this guy is.”

Red obliged, picking un the power drill to drill through the rivets holding the tin roof down. He and Blue lifted it off the top and gently leaned it against the back of coop. Red stacked the removed panels and climbed on top to get a good view down into the coop.

“Well,” he stated after a moment.

“Well what?” Blue asked. “How big is it?”

“The size of the coop.” The slime’s eyes shifted up to gaze back at Red. It started to jiggle, pushing its body slowly through the enlarged entrance of the coop. “It’s leaving now, though.”

“Fuck.” Blue said. Red watched, mesmerized, as ooze shifted and blobbed together, working to push the giant slime out onto the dirt.

It took about three minutes total for the slow creature to accomplish its task. Red wondered if slime ooze would clean off the coop floor, or if he’d have to get new materials after all.

“I have never, _never_ seen a slime this size,” Blue stated. “This is not going to fit in any of my boxes.”

Red climbed down from his stack of boards to study the slime at eye level. It seemed to be taking a great interest in the two-foot tall wire fence that encompassed the coop. It stood about four feet tall with maybe a seven foot diameter, all a faint, glowing, translucent green. Red squinted at it; he could just barely see through it clearly.

“Maybe we should let it go,” Red said.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if it’d screw up some of the local ecosystem, especially if it starts taking resources from the other slimes – this thing is huge, and slimes require a lot of water to sustain themselves. I don’t even understand how it survived in the coop so long.”

Red shrugged.

“I don’t know what else we can do with it, though. It can’t really stay here.”

“I can take care of it.”

“Red, it’s a slime.”

Red nodded.

The slime squelched.

Blue walked around the coop in confusion. “You know,” he said after a moment, “there is a hole near the base of the coop here, and it’s on a slight slope. The wood’s all moldy back here too. I think water drained into the coop whenever it rained, feeding it. And then it just… probably absorbed most of the mold, too, for sustenance.”

“Resourceful,” Red said with admiration. The slime started sliming its way over the fence, making perhaps the wettest noise Red had ever heard.

“I think you’re right,” Blue continued. “I think we just have to let it go free for now.” The slime turned towards him, eyes fixated on his bag. Blue froze.

“I would move,” Red said.

The slime lunged. Blue ducked, dropping his face to the ground. The behemoth landed on top of both Blue and his bag, the latter of which the slime slowly swished to its core. Red sighed and grabbed his nearby shovel. He walked over to the slime and gently prodded it at the side Blue was closest to.

The slime angrily squelched, its eyes focusing in on Red.

“You need to go,” he stated, prodding it a bit harder. It slid back a bit, revealing Blue’s leg, which Red grabbed and pulled. Moments later, Blue came free and the slime retreated into the woods. Blue rolled over, gasping for breath.

“I fucking _hate_ slimes,” he panted. “Did that bastard take my bag?” Red nodded. “ _Motherfucker_. It probably smelled the pheromone in the bottle, stupid piece of shit. I had my new tree corer in there!”

Red walked over to the ooze left behind. “Will this attract more slimes?” he asked.

“Holy shit, yeah it will. You’ll probably need to torch the whole coop, honestly.”

Red frowned.

“But first, we need to get that bag back.”

“Why?”

“It had my new tree corer!”

Red didn’t know what that was, but figured it was probably dissolved within the slime by this point.

“Come on, if we go now we might be able to catch up with it. Here, do you have anything longer than this shovel?”

Red nodded and walked back to the main field to grab his hoe before returning.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Some part of Red knew that something would go wrong once they tried to cleanse his coop of slimes, but he didn’t think it’d lead to him spending the entirety of his Thursday in the woods with Blue searching for a giant beast that stole his bag.

Not that he minded much, but he did want to get started on cleaning the coop as soon as possible. Regardless of what Blue said, he didn’t want to just torch it and start over. He also needed to make sure the area was clear for the water filtration system tomorrow. Candice would be back tomorrow, so Maylene offered to help him install it so long as she could bring her kids along. She claimed they were excited to see another farm.

Red figured they’d be disappointed to see that it was just acres of weeds with one decent patch of dirt and a dilapidated, slimy chicken coop. He wondered if slime ooze was safe for kids. Probably not, if slimes gave people chemical burns.

Speaking of, the backs of Blue’s arms looked pink and agitated. They should probably get that checked out by Nurse Joy, too.

They had more difficulty than Red originally imagined finding the slime. Despite its size, it blended in with the surrounding forest well, and seeing as the entire area was, as Blue explained, “slime territory,” not every bit of ooze they spotted was the fault of their criminal.

The sun started to set when they finally found it, Blue’s backpack still suspended in its core. Now, however, it was mixed in with leaves, twigs, and some animal droppings. Red grimaced.

“Looks like it’s taking a nap, so let’s get to it,” Blue said. “It’ll be easiest if we do this from up high. Can you climb trees?”

Red hadn’t tried to since he was a child. He shrugged.

“Alright, well you can probably get to that low branch there, right?” Blue asked, gesturing towards a limb of a maple tree hanging about three feet off the ground. “You get on that one and I’ll climb up the oak on the other side, and we’ll try to fish the bag out, okay?”

Red nodded.

“Slimes are fairly oblivious, so it probably won’t wake up until our tools are almost to the bag. If you get it first, grab the pheromone bottle and chuck it as far as you can away from us. Then we run.”

The two assumed their positions. Red felt extremely unbalanced on the maple branch, legs straddling it to the best of his ability, but he figured he was set well enough to start fishing. He braced the hoe with two hands and leaned down, pressing his torso against the branch, before pushing the hoe into the slime. Blue did the same with the shovel.

The slime, true to what Blue said, woke up right as Red caught a backpack strap on the edge of his hoe. Blue immediately pulled out the shovel as the slime violently thrashed, catching Red’s branch in its body. It was all Red could do to suck in air before being plunged into its depth.

Eyes squeezed shut, Red grabbed wildly for the backpack. Coming into contact with something that felt like fabric, he gripped hard and thrashed. Something hard suddenly pushed against his back, and he was pushed out into the air. He immediately blew his nose and spat, green goo dripping out of ever orifice. His eyes remained sealed shut by the ooze, and he took off running blindly, sticking an arm out to guide him around the trees. He could hear Blue shouting in the background, but it was hard to hear with ears blocked by slime. His arms and legs stung as well, and he wished he had a towel to wipe the goo off with.

Minutes later, Blue caught up to him. He wiped Red’s face off and pulled the pheromone bottle out of the backpack, chucking it as hard as he could back towards the slime.

“Keep your eyes closed one more second, I’m just going to rinse your face off with some water so don’t panic,” Blue said. Red turned his face up and sighed with relief as cold water washed over his skin. “Okay. You’re good now.”

Red tentatively opened his right eye first, as a test. He didn’t feel anything burn, so he gingerly opened the left and took a deep breath. He turned his gaze towards Blue, who was standing in front of him, torso bared, his shirt balled up in his hand.

Red had never considered himself interested in others’ appearances, but he did have to admit Blue was pretty attractive. He had clearly aged well, all lean muscle and sharp angles.

“You might want to take your shirt off, too,” Blue said. “And I can wipe down more of you with mine. I don’t want any of the slime getting into your cut. You can come shower at my place, too. Probably don’t want to go to bed without scrubbing yourself down first. Also, we should go to the clinic. While we’re at it. Just to check on your cut.”

Red pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto Blue’s backpack, which looked significantly more faded and threadbare than it did this morning. Blue carefully wiped down Red’s shoulders and torso with the clean patches of his own shirt, awkwardly averting his gaze as he did so.

Red wasn’t quite sure what the big deal was. Blue had definitely seen him shirtless before. They were grown men. No need to be weird about it.

Unless he thought it was weird to touch another shirtless man, which Red supposed he could understand.

Blue afterwards used his shirt as a makeshift handle for the backpack so he wouldn’t have to touch the ooze-drenched fabric. They stopped in Red’s house to change clothes before walking through town, and reached the clinic just as Nurse Joy was locking up.

“Oh no,” she sighed.

“Slimes,” Blue explained. “I know it’s late, but if you could just check Red’s cut-”

“Yes, yes. Come on in. But leave your, uh, bag out here, please.”

And so Red found himself once again gritting his teeth and clenching the patient’s chair as Nurse Joy cleansed his cut with antiseptic and re-wrapped it in gauze.

“You two also need to rinse off as soon as possible and treat with this ointment here,” Joy concluded, handing blue a large green bottle. “So go. Now. Put that on twice daily and _don’t itch_ the affected areas.”

The pair nodded obediently before heading back to Blue’s house. It was just past nine as the door swung open, and Professor Oak looked up from where he was sitting in the living room, a book open in his lap and Eevee curled next to him.

“Were you able to bring any of the slimes back?” he asked, taking off his glasses and starting to stand up.

“Don’t,” Blue growled, “talk to me about slimes.” He stormed upstairs.

Red offered a wave and pulled off his shoes before following him.

**-line break-**

It was already late, so Red just spent the night after showering. Blue showed him the guest room and promised to wake him early enough to go meet Maylene at the shop to get the water filtration system moved and installed properly on the farm.

Red was wearing a pair of Blue’s pajamas again, made of a soft, fluffy, and light material. The shirt, however, unfortunately proudly stated “WOMANIZER” across the front in a curly, glittery, pink font, and the pants bore little sparkly decorations of sunglasses, cars, and martinis. Red wondered when Blue got them. Probably years ago, when he still thought he’d be taller.

Not that Blue was short. Red was just… a little bit taller.

The guest room had pleasant, mint green walls decorated with pictures of the Oak family. Red smiled at a picture of a young Blue dressed in his grandfather’s lab coat, standing on a rock outside with his arms outstretched. His hair was somehow even spikier than it was now, his face round and rosy.

Red’s few childhood pictures were in an album, still sitting in the bottom of his duffel, along with the handful of other childhood belongings he felt were worth keeping after his mom passed. He wondered if he should put any of them on display eventually. He never had them out in his old place, instead, keeping everything in a shoebox in the closet, too painful to think about.

Red’s thoughts drifted to his mom once more. He missed her dearly. He wondered what she’d think of Blue and their adventure today.

He felt she’d be happy that he already made such a good friend here.

Red paused. Were he and Blue friends now?

He supposed so. He wasn’t sure what other word really described their relationship at this point. Blue had been nothing but kind and helpful to him since Red showed up, and he’d spent the night at his house twice now. He felt they spent more time with Blue in the past week alone than he, Ethan, and Lyra did in the last month they had together before the pair moved.

Red flipped his pillow over to the cold side as he cuddled into the bed. He wondered if Ethan and Lyra would like Blue. Silver probably would, after a while. He took a while to warm up to people, and he’d complain about Blue until they were both dead in the ground, but he’d like him, deep down.

Red wondered what Silver was up to. They talked less, too, after Ethan and Lyra moved. He thought that Silver eventually packed up and left Goldenrod as well, but he wasn’t entirely sure. He should text him sometime. Maybe. He could never tell if Silver actually enjoyed talking to him or if he just hung around to appease their other friends.

But he’d be welcome to visit the farm, too, once Red had space. He’d call the place a shithole and demand to stay somewhere in town instead, probably, but he’d probably appreciate the atmosphere some. Or not. Silver could be pretty moody and the people in town were nosy.

Red would still like to see him again, anyways. He would try to text him sometime this weekend and see if he’d be interested. Hell, maybe Silver was lonely too now that Ethan and Lyra were busy with their kid. Silver didn’t have much family left either, after all.

**-line break-**

Blue took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, and then slammed open the door to Red’s room, Eevee happily wagging her tail at his heels. He _loved_ waking people up in the morning. Probably because he loved being a dick.

“GOOD MORNING!!!” he shouted, walking over to the window and thrusting the curtains apart. “IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY SIX THIRTY AM, THE TIME YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! SO GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED AND GO SEE MAYLENE.” Eevee barked in excitement.

Red groaned and rolled over, shoving his face further into the pillow. Blue ripped the covers off his back, taking a moment to appreciate his old womanizer pajamas and how out-of-place they looked on Red.

“You told me to get you up early, I’m getting you up early,” he declared. “Come on. I’m making eggs and bacon.”

Red responded with another groan.

“I’ll throw pancakes into the mix too if you scoot your ass out of bed right now.”

Red rolled over and glared at Blue, who smiled back. His hair stuck up in every direction, shiny and soft.

“You have the best bedhead, you know that?” Blue said. He froze. He hadn’t meant to actually say that.

Red just shoved his face back into the pillow in response, though, so Blue yanked the pillow away from him.

“Come on, before the eggs burn,” he said. “And I need backup. My grandfather still thinks my hatred of slimes is unreasonable.”

Red let out an over dramatic sigh and sat up. His arms and face were still a little pink from the slime burn, but not too bad, Blue noted with relief. His own rashes had mostly disappeared by the morning. He’d feel horrible if Red had been more hurt from trying to get Blue’s bag back.

Thankfully, however, the aquamarine Red had given him was still safe inside it, as well as his new tree corer. The backpack itself would need to be replaced and he needed to copy whatever he could of his old notes into a new notebook, but other than that everything was fine.

Red sat at the kitchen table, dead to the world as Blue fixed breakfast. He blearily came to life once Blue set a plate in front of him. Gramps joined a minute later, newspaper tucked under his arm.

“I heard you had quite the adventure yesterday,” Gramps said, setting the paper down in front of him. “What do you think of slimes, Red?”

Red shrugged, focusing intently on his food.

“They’re not too bad if you deal with them properly. I would hope that Blue’s recklessness and bias doesn’t taint your opinion of them. They are truly lovely creatures, once you get to understand them,” Gramps continued.

“I might farm some,” Red said after a minute.

Gramps blinked, clearly taken aback. “Oh?”

“Coop’s already covered in ooze,” Red explained.

Blue slammed his cup on the table. “That’s a _terrible_ idea. Just cut the thing up and use it for firewood, I’m telling you. Slimes don’t produce anything valuable. Besides, you said you wanted chickens.”

“I’ll have both.”

“Slime eggs are actually worth a lot,” Gramps added. “Especially if you breed some of the rarer species from the mines. Their goo can also be sold. It’s got some medicinal properties and is a cheap source of weak acids.”

Red nodded, stabbing an egg yolk with a crisp piece of bacon.

“Don’t you go corrupting him,” Blue threatened, pointing at his grandfather with a fork. “This man is still covered in slime burn. Look at him! And now you’re encouraging him to _farm_ these monsters?”

“I think Red will be able to use yesterday’s debacle as a learning experience, unlike someone else at the table,” Gramps teased while Red finished the last of his food.

Blue sighed and stretched. “Red, get out of here before Gramps here gives more bad advice and ruins your whole farm. Your clothes are in the laundry room. It’s the door next to the TV in the living room,” Blue informed him. Red nodded, rubbing his eyes as he stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Blue looked down at Eevee, dutifully sitting under the table, hoping for scraps of food to fall.

“Make sure he doesn’t get lost, will you?” he asked her.

She yipped and remained seated.

“You are zero help,” he informed her. She wagged her tail.

Red wandered back into the kitchen a while later, dressed in his clothes with his hair in some semblance of order.

“Heading out?” Gramps asked. Red nodded. “Good luck today.”

“Try not to get caught up with any slimes,” Blue added.

Red shrugged. “I’ll bring back the kennels later.”

“Ah. Right.” Blue had already forgotten about those.

Just as Red stepped out of the kitchen, someone knocked one the door. Confused, Blue rose to his feet and walked past Red to the door and opened it.

Milo, Nate, and Rosa beamed back at him.

“Slime day!” Nate and Rosa shouted in unison.

Blue forced a grin, quickly trying to find an excuse to get him out of this today.

“They both did all their homework and chores this week,” Milo said, slightly pleadingly. “Rosa also checked a book out from the library on slimes and has been reading it to Nate every day this week.”

Well, fuck, he couldn’t turn them down after that, then.

Red walked up behind him, and Rosa gasped.

“Are you the new neighbor?” she cried. “Why are you here? I thought you lived on the farm!”

“Are you friends with Blue?” Nate demanded. “He’s a scientist! Are you a scientist too?”

Red hunched his shoulders and shook his head while Milo chastised his kids for being rude.

“Alrighty kids, you give me fifteen minutes to get ready and we’ll head out on our slime-venture,” Blue said at last. Red looked at him in conclusion. “You’ll have to excuse Red, here. He’s got a lot of work to do on the farm. But I’m sure we can visit him later, _right Red?_ ”

Red shook his head and pushed his way out the door.

Blue glared at him.

Today… was going to suck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "healthcare is free in kanto red"  
> "but the economy"  
> "isn't real"
> 
> also tfw ur husband abandons you in your hour of need


	5. Jackie and Wilson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's gonna save me, call me baby, run her hands through my hair  
> She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily, but yet she wouldn't care  
> We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives, ride round pickin' up clues  
> We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson, 'raise em on rhythm and blues
> 
> Lord it'd be great to find a place we could escape sometime  
> Me and my isis growing black irises in the sunshine  
> Every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside  
> Sit back and watch the world go by
> 
> Happy to lie back, watch it burn and rust  
> We tried to work, good God it wasn't for us
> 
> She's gonna save me, call me baby, run her hands through my hair  
> She'll know me crazy soothe me daily but yet she wouldn't care  
> We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives, ride round pickin' up clues  
> We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson, raise 'em on rhythm and Blues

Joey and Iris darted between Red and Maylene as they loaded up Maylene’s truck with the water filter and needed tools. The tailgate creaked anytime weight passed over it, but it seemed to be a sturdy, if old, vehicle.

“Alright, you kids wanna ride up in the front with us or in the back with the filter?” Maylene asked, wiping her hands after packing the last wrench.

“Back!” Iris shouted, reaching up to the tailgate. Her chubby hands held on and she tried in vain to jump up before Maylene finally lifted her and settled her onto a cushion. Joey, a few years older, managed himself.

“You know the rules,” Maylene said. “Stay put. Don’t stand up. Knock if you need something. Arms and legs stay to yourself.” Joey and Iris obediently nodded and Maylene and Red took their places up front. The cloth seats had clearly seen better days, and nobody had cleaned the floor in a while, but it felt cozy and used. A little scented tree hung from the rearview window, but Red couldn’t tell what it smelled like.

“It’s weird what you find fun as a kid, isn’t it?” Maylene asked. “I never go more than five miles per hour when they’re in the back, but they lost their minds over this the first time just as much as they did the first time they went on a rollercoaster. I suppose Candice and I were the same way when we were little.”

Red nodded and Maylene started the ignition, slowly pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. She continuously glanced into the rearview mirror to check on the kids, who were hollering with joy.

“This truck’s seen a few generations of kids hanging out in the bed. I remember when we were just teenagers, Candice and I put a tarp in the back and tried to fill it with water to make a swimming pool. It actually kinda worked, except the tarp was dirty and the water was disgusting and when it drained we covered the entire street in mud. Her parents were pissed. She was grounded for a week, but I’d climb the tree outside her window and we’d talk every night anyways. That was the summer before she started college.” Maylene sighed. “She got her 4-year degree in Viridian and would’ve gone one for her masters, but then her mom fell ill and she had to take over the store.

“I just got my associate’s from a community college in Viridian. I’ve never had the focus she did to study and get through school.”

Red looked at the window at the forest as they slowly putted down the road.

“Red, did you ever go to college?” Maylene asked.

He nodded. “One and a half years. Couldn’t afford more.”

Maylene nodded. “Yeah, I get that. What’d you study?”

Red shrugged.

“If you say communications, I am going to laugh my ass off.”

Red shook his head. “Couldn’t ever decide. Bio, environmental engineering, geology.”

“Ah, a science boy. Candice studied business. I was in this career pathways program, so it was more like trade school than college honestly. Got my mechanic’s license. It’s been handy. I also had an apprenticeship up in Pewter for a couple years, too, and learned some carpentry skills. I work with Marshal now on construction jobs in town. Oh, here we are.”

She pulled up in the gravel driveway, now overrun with seeds, next to the Red’s shack. Joey hopped out of the back before sticking his arms out for his little sister to jump in.

“Now, here’s the deal,” Maylene told them, “both of you need to stay in sight. We’re going to be around the back of the house installing the water filter, okay?”

“Can I help?” Joey asked. Iris clung to his hand.

“I think Red and I got this one covered,” Maylene said.

“But I want to help!” Joey cried.

“You can help by keeping your sister out of trouble. The water filter’s heavy, I don’t want one of you two getting hurt.”

“But I can help!”

“I can too!” Iris added.

Maylene sighed. “Alright, do you two want to hold the tool box?” She handed them a large, heavy black box with a red lid. “It’s heavy, so you two need to work together to carry it. I need you to go set it next to that water pump back there, alright?”

Appeased, the children dragged the box off. Maylene looked at Red.

“This is going to suck. You ready?”

He nodded, and Maylene climbed into the back of the truck and shoved the water filter box over to the creaking tailgate before hopping down and lifting it with Red. They slowly carried it back to the well before setting it down. Joey and Iris helped open the box after Maylene cut the tape before losing interest and darting off to play tag between the trellises.

“Where’d you grow up, Red?” Maylene asked as they opened the instruction manual.

“Goldenrod.”

“Oh, you’re all the way from Johto?” Red nodded. “Aight, here it says to turn off the pump and hot water heater before installation. That should be… these knobs here, right? Wait, is that your water heater?” Maylene gestured to a rusted metal box attached to the back of the house. Red shrugged. “Do you… do you have hot water?”

“No.”

“Oh good god, Red, I didn’t now how badly you were living out here. When were you planning to get one?”

Red shrugged.

“Alright, we’re going to see if we can fix that before I leave today, though I doubt we can, and then we’re going back to the shop and getting you a new one ordered, alright?”

Red was silently grateful for the money he made from mining days before.

The pair talked some as they worked, Maylene making the occasional exclamation about the state of the house, mixes of shock at how well certain things had stayed together and dismay at just about everything else.

“You know, Marshal has a drum sander. You could probably rent it from him, or hire him and he’ll come clean up the floors himself,” Maylene said, connecting one side of the water filter to the house. “I think that refinishing the floors would be a good idea. You may need to replace some of the boards near the edges, though, but we can help you with that, too.”

Red nodded. He’d been laying on his back looking up at the filter from the bottom for a while now, pulling some of the wires apart to plug in properly.

“Red, do you see a green tube down there? Should have about an inch diameter?”

It was dangling in Red’s face. “Yes.”

“Pass it up to me, would you?”

Red complied.

“How’s your bathroom equipment? Probably all stained from the copper and iron in the water, right?”

“Yes.”

“That can be a bitch to clean off.”

Red had noticed.

“There’s a trick I do to resell some old porcelain stuff with denture tablets and vinegar. It works alright, but depending on how badly things are stained, it may take you a while to clean it off. Or you can just replace it all.”

“I’ll clean it.”

Maylene grunted. “Alright, this half’s done. Now to just attach it to the pump. Red, the third switch is set to low, right?”

Red squinted at the filter. “Yes.”

“Cool. Now we just need to – Iris, what is that?”

Red pushed himself out from under the filter while the little girl pulled at the hem of her mom’s tank top.

“Frog!”

Clutched probably too tightly against her chest was indeed a frog. Brown and bumpy, it looked extremely unamused with its current predicament.

“And what will you do with the frog?” Maylene asked.

“Mine!”

Maylene sighed. “I don’t think we can keep the frog, Iris.”

“Joey has two,” Iris argued. “This one’s mine!”

“Joey! Let go of those frogs!” Maylene shouted. Joey stood halfway across the field, shirt folded upwards to hold his new amphibian friends.

“But Mama, I caught them myself! And Iris’s!”

“Joey, don’t make me come over there!” Maylene set her wrench down.

“But Mamaaaaaa!”

Iris turned to Red, frog still held tightly against her body.

“Do you like frogs?” she asked. Red nodded.

“Ok. He keeps moving. You can have him,” she said, and dropped it into his lap before running back to her brother. “Joey! I want a diff’rent frog!”

Maylene ran after her kids while Red studied the frog in his lap. It let out a croak before hopping away, towards the brush behind the house. He wondered how many were taking up residence on his farm as Maylene’s attempt at discipline quickly dissolved into her joining her kids’ game of tag. Red started to read over the next step in the instruction manual when Iris ran back over to him.

He looked at her. She giddily pretended to look up, to the side, and down, before sticking out her hand and gently poking his shoulder.

He frowned, confused.

She giggled. “TAG! No tagbacks!”

Red threw down the manual and took off running after the laughing family.

**-line break-**

Nate liked to hold hands and walk at the speed of a snail. Rosa liked to run and scream and climb trees. Blue liked to imagine himself anywhere but with them.

“How much farther until we reach the slimes?” Rosa asked, taking off into a skip. Twigs and leaves loudly crunched under her heavy footfalls, and she twanged every low-hanging branch she saw. Any woodland creature within a mile radius was likely steering clear of them.

“Well, if you quiet down, we may see some in the clearing right up here!” Blue said, trying to sound pleasant. Nate squeezed his hand tighter.

“Are they friendly?” he loudly whispered.

“Not particularly, but we can watch them from a distance.”

“I wanna bring one home!” Rosa declared.

“They’re wild creatures and dangerous to touch. We’re just going to watch them,” Blue said.

“The book I got said they’re made of _acid_ ,” Rosa said. “Like in torture pits!”

Uh.

“They’re made up a material that has high concentrations of acetic acid, and some hydrochloric acid near their core,” Blue said. “I’m not sure about the torture pit part, though.”

“I was reading a book about Shelley Sly. She’s a super detective who has the power to control magnets,” Rosa started explaining. “But nobody knows she can control magnets, so she uses it when she fights bad guys and uses the metal in their secret hideouts to trap them and arrest them, but by the time the police show up she puts everything back as it was. And one time, she had to go fight Horrible Harry…”

Blue nodded as Rosa disjointedly explained all of Shelley’s adventures and how bored she was waiting for the next book.

“Miss Lenora says that she’ll order the next books as soon as they come out, though!” Rosa said. “Hilda reads them too, sometimes. She wrote a story about the characters, too, and it was really good!”

Nate stuck out his tongue. “She wrote that Horrible Harry and Madman Marky were _kissing,_ ” he said. “It was _stupid._ ”

“No it wasn’t! Hilda was telling me about _subtext_. They’re like, definitely in love!”

“But Madman Marky should be with Shelley!”

“No, Nate. They’re gay.”

“Says who?”

“Hilda! She knows all about this stuff. It’s called _boys love._ ”

“What?” Blue asked, now confused.

“Hilda writes BL stories for them on the internet!”

“Do… do her parents know?”

“ _No,_ they wouldn’t get it. They’re probably _homophobes_. Like mine.”

Blue knew both their families. Whitney, Rosa’s mom, was very blatantly bisexual and was literally on the planning committee for the Viridian Pride Festival for years, and Hilda and Hilberts’ parents had been nothing but kind to Blue when he came out of the closet as a teenager.

“I don’t think so, Rosa,” Blue said awkwardly after a moment. He really, really wanted to go home now.

“You don’t get it because you’re straight!”

“Uh, I’m not straight.”

Rosa spun around. “ _Really?_ You’re a… um…”

“I’m bisexual.” Should he tell her that her mom was, too? Probably not? He hated talking to kids. This was a disaster. “And I don’t think your parents are homophobic. They both know I’m bisexual and don’t care.”

“Do you read _slash_?”

“Uh, no.”

“But it’s about gay people!”

Blue sighed. “Just because something’s about gay people doesn’t mean all gay people like it,” he said carefully. “And sometimes, things written about gay people by non-gay people can be hurtful or wrong, even when it’s not intended to be.”

Rosa frowned. “Hilda says I’m not old enough to read slash yet.”

Oh god. How old were Hilda and Hilbert now? They were teenagers, right? Should they be reading this stuff?

“Yeah, uh, probably not,” Blue said, wondering how the hell he was going to talk to Hilda’s parents about this. Or Rosa’s parents. How did these kids even do this without their parents knowing?

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Rosa asked.

“No.”

“Is it because you’re asexual?”

“No, I’m bisexual. I just said that.”

“But you’re so _old_! Why aren’t you married?”

“Yeah, you’re really old,” Nate agreed. “Every other old person is married. Except Miss Bertha. And Miss Agatha. But Daddy said their husbands died.”

“I’m not that old,” Blue said. “Besides, Rosa, why do you think your parents are homophobic?”

“In Hilda’s story, Madman Marky and Horrible Harry’s parents kick them out because they’re gay. They call them mean names and stuff, so they both move in with Shelley, who is a lesbian, and she lets them stay in her house. But they have to keep their relationship secret, because society doesn’t like gay people. And Shelley’s girlfriend died, so she’s sad,” Rosa said matter-of-factly. “And once Marky and Harry get there, even though Shelley lives in a mansion, all the rooms are closed or under construction, so they have to share a room together. But Harry feels so awkward about it that they sleep facing away from each other-”

“Rosa, what does that have to do with your parents?”

“Parents are homophobes!”

“Candice and Maylene are parents, and they’re literally lesbians.”

“Yeah!” Nate said.

Rosa scowled. Blue sighed.

“Here, let’s sit down for a moment,” he said, walking to a shaded rocky area. “Rosa, there’s a lot of people in this world, right?”

Rosa nodded, climbing onto a low-hanging branch to sit. Nate leaned against Blue as they settled onto a rock. God, this kid was clingy.

“And they all come from different regions and grow up with different backgrounds and ideals, right?”

“Yeah!”

“So… in a lot of areas, there’s people who are uncomfortable with people in the LGBT+ community,” Blue said, wondering how the hell explaining this to an eleven year old became his responsibility. “And there’s a lot of people who are completely comfortable, understanding, and welcoming too.”

“Like in Black City in Unova!”

…What?

“They have the biggest Pride parades in the _world_ ,” Rosa said appreciatively. “Do you know what Pride is? Pride is-”

“Yes, I know what Pride is,” Blue said. “But there’s a lot more to the LGBT+ community than just Pride. Rosa, gay people exist whether or not they actively celebrate it with rainbows or not, right? And homophobes exist too, but just because someone is old doesn’t mean they’re homophobic either. People with varying gender and sexual identities have existed for a long time, right? They are nothing new.”

“But they’ve been discriminated against!”

Blue wished he had a bottle of vodka to get him through this.

“Yes. Many different groups of people have been discriminated against in a variety of ways throughout various periods of history. But that doesn’t mean _every single person_ from those periods of history discriminated against them, either. Biases have always existed, and they still exist in us today. But not everyone over the age of twenty is a homophobe, Rosa. Tell me, have your parents ever done anything to show bias against gay or transgender people?”

“They said I couldn’t go to Pride in Unova,” Rosa said, crossing her arms. “Hilda said she was gonna go next year! Mom and Dad said I’m too young, but I’m almost as old as her! And love is love! I can handle gay people kissing! I read about it!”

Blue sighed. “That’s not homophobia. That’s just parenting. If you want to see a Pride parade, why don’t you go to one in Viridian?” He was pretty sure that the Viridian one had a kid-friendly day… Or maybe that was Cerulean? Shit, he hadn’t thought about Pride in years.

Rosa scowled. “I want to see Unova!”

_Please_ , Blue prayed. _If there is a god out there, save me from this hell. And let someone else talk to Rosa’s and Hilda’s parents. Please._ “I’m sure you’ll get to go to Unova someday,” Blue said awkwardly.

“Will you take me to Pride in Viridian?”

“Uh, maybe you should talk to your mom about that. I’m sure she’d be the better person to take you,” Blue said. “Now come on, I’m done talking about this. Let’s go get slimes.”

“But Mom’s a hetero! She can’t go to Pride!”

_Please kill me._

**-line break-**

“Jesus, Red, this bathroom’s a shithole,” Maylene said, crinkling her nose in disgust. Joey and Iris were laying half asleep on Red’s bed while Red and Maylene checked the water.

Red shrugged.

“I knew that you were probably living in some rundown shack, but this is pretty bad,” Maylene continued. “You sure you don’t want, like, to just burn this whole bathroom down and start over?”

Red shook his head and turned the bath and sink faucets on.

“Okay, well, we need to let a few gallons run through before it’s safe, so this’ll probably be a while,” Maylene said. “Let’s just go wait in the kitchen.”

The pair sat at the table and watched Joey and Iris nap.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Maylene asked. Red nodded. “I was unsure about kids at first, but Candice talked me into fostering for a while. That probably sounds bad, doesn’t it? Like we’re trial-running a kid.” She laughed. “No, Candice said we were just going to foster at first. Kids need homes and Pallet Town needs kids, and some of the kids end up returning to their families once things are all sorted out anyways. So we took in Joey, and it ended up being me talking her into adopting. We found Iris years later.

“I kinda wonder about their bio parents sometimes. Why they gave them up. But hey, their loss, our gain. I just hope they’re getting the best lives they could. They deserve the world.”

Red nodded.

“I know that we don’t have the best options here for education. I mean, Bertha is wonderful, but I’m worried we may have to look at private schools once they reach middle or high school. Candice and I have been trying to supplement Joey’s education with some online home-schooling stuff, and Lenora helps the kids with reading every Friday, and Bertha takes all the kids up to Viridian for their standardized tests and he does fine on those, but… I dunno, you know? Seems like the rest of the world keeps stacking more things onto the curriculum. I don’t know if Pallet Town can keep up.”

Iris let out a sigh and rolled over, one foot sticking up into the air.

“You ever thought about starting a family, Red?”

Red shrugged. He felt he would never really get the opportunity to, but he wasn’t sure he’d want to if he did.

“It’s a lot of work. More than you’d ever imagine. But I don’t think I would trade it for the world. I mean, I don’t mean to act like, you know you have to or anything. I hated it when my parents kept insisting I needed to have kids. You don’t. But, I mean, I’m glad I did. It was the right choice for me.”

They settled back into a comfortable silence, watching the kids and listening to the bathroom water run.

“Should be good to check now. You get test strips?” Maylene said, standing up. Red nodded and grabbed a cup.

They checked all water sources twice, and Red sighed with relief when everything came back clear.

“Perfect. Now we just need to get you a hot water heater, right?” she laughed. “Say, Candice and I are taking the kids to the saloon tonight for dinner. You’re welcome to join if you’d like. We won’t be drinking; the kids just love the arcade and the food there.”

Red shrugged.

“You won’t be intruding or anything. The kids _officially_ adore you now. I think Joey’d like to have someone else around to show the arcade. Plus, I noticed you’re still just living off of peanut butter sandwiches here, so I think you could do with some real food.”

“Fine.”

“Attaboy. Alright, I’m gonna pack up the kids and head out. You stop by if you want to get that water heater ordered, okay? The one out back is complete toast. If I don’t see you then, see you at dinner.”

Red flopped on his still too-soft bed as the truck outside growled to a start. His chest ached with longing, but he wasn’t quite sure what for.

**-line break-**

Really, Blue should’ve known better. He should’ve just _known_ better.

But he didn’t, because he was stupid, and now he was running away from Red’s stupid behemoth slime through the forest. Nate and Rosa were both screaming their heads off as the beast charged them.

Well, it moved significantly slower than them, seeing as it was a giant slime, but the three of them had decided running and screaming was the most appropriate course of action regardless.

"Quick, up the tree!” Rosa shouted, clambering up a sturdy-looking oak.

“I can’t climb trees!” Nate cried. Blue sighed and hoisted him up the first couple branches before following. He definitely was not as good at this as he used to be.

It took a few minutes to get everyone settled and out of the slime’s reach. Blue wondered if this should be some sort of educational moment for the kids about angering wild animals or something, but he wasn’t totally sure. Maybe they’d figure out the lesson on their own. Rosa seemed plenty good at analysis, anyways. Or just jumping to conclusions and parroting whatever Hilda said.

Maybe if Hilda was here she could make a lesson.

“What kind of slime is that?” Nate asked as it oozed into view.

“That’s a green slime, same as any other. Also called a forest slime. He’s just big.”

“How do you know it’s not a _girl_ slime?” Rosa demanded.

_Actually_ , Blue wanted to say, _it’s a_ gay _slime._ “Slimes don’t have gender, actually. I guess I just got into the habit of referring to them all as boys.”

“You should refer to them as girls!”

“Because girls are slimy?” Blue asked tiredly. The slime seemed to calm down now that it couldn’t see them. Blue could make out the outline of the pheromone bottle still in its core. He wondered if ingesting that much pheromone would have any effect on it. That was something slimes were supposed to just sniff trace amounts of, after all.

“No! Because they’re cute!”

“Why is it so big?”

“Well, do you two remember our good neighbor Red from this morning?” Blue asked. Nate nodded. “He lives on a farm. But the farm was empty for a very long time before he moved in, so a lot of the farm kind of fell apart and was empty. So that slime there, back when it was a baby, somehow got into the empty chicken coop. He- I mean, she- grew so big that she couldn’t fit out the way she came in, or through the way she came in. So Red had me come over to help him get the slime out, except it turned out to be way bigger than either of us thought.”

“Does it like you? Because you freed it?”

“No. It actually really _doesn’t_ like me, because it tried to absorb my bag and Red and I had to get it out.”

“It wouldn’t give it back to you?”

Blue looked down at Nate. The scrawny boy stared at the slime, eyes wide with awe and wonder, even as he clung to Blue’s arm.

“No. It’s a wild animal, Nate. Wild animals don’t process things the way we do. The slime doesn’t understand that we freed it, and it didn’t understand why I wanted my bag back. It just acts on instinct.”

“Now it’s an it?” Rosa demanded.

“The slime is whatever I decide the slime is, because I am the slime expert,” Blue said.

“No you’re not!”

“I literally am.” Basically.

“No, you’re just a stupid scientist!”

“…That studies slimes.” Against his will.

Rosa made a fart sound, and Blue hushed them.

“Let’s see if more show up.”

“More big ones?” Nate asked.

“I don’t think there’s any more as big as that one.”

“I wanna name her!” Rosa said. “Her name is Lucy.”

“Nuh-uh, his name is Phil!” Nate immediately argued.

_Please, please let this end,_ Blue silently prayed.

**-line break-**

“Oh! You’re back already?” Whitney asked, opening the door. Somehow perfectly clean despite spending the day in the fields, she winced at the sight of her two kids and Blue, all presently covered in mud and leaves.

“Yep! We saw a big slime, named it Philucy, and now we’re back,” Blue stated. “And we are never going slime hunting again.”

“No fair! I want to see another one!” Rosa said, stomping her foot.

“Also, Whitney… Can I talk to you for a second?”

“About what?”

Blue rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, Rosa.”

Rosa glared at him. “You can’t tell her that! I need to come out of the closet on my own!”

Blue and Whitney stared at her. Rosa clapped her hands over her mouth in shock before sprinting upstairs. Nate uncertainly followed her.

“Is she… did she tell you something?” Whitney asked, confused.

Blue shrugged. “I mean, nothing that warrants coming out of the closet? She just has been reading some weird stories Hilda’s been writing and has some interesting notions about gay people and homophobia, is all. I’m not sure if Hilda’s been sharing inappropriate things with her or not, but I know she’s been reading some, uh, interesting things on the internet. So I just wanted to let you know Rosa might be, too. And she wants to go to a Pride parade.”

Whitney pushed her palm to her forehead. “Good god, she’s already almost twelve, isn’t she?”

Blue shrugged. “Unfortunately so.”

“She started talking about going to Black City the other day, I wonder if that’s why. Well, uh, I guess I’ll have to talk to her, won’t I?”

“I mean, I guess?”

“This, I swear, is the worst part of parenting. Just… the weird conversations. Like, Nate asked me what roofies were yesterday. Who the heck told him about roofies? And god, Rosa’s been clinging to Hilda like nobody’s business as of late, and their parents told me yesterday that they walked in on Hilbert watching porn. I have _no_ idea how we’re supposed to handle that if that comes up.” Whitney sighed. “I need a drink. A strong one. You wanna come in for a while? I mean, take your shoes off, but I do appreciate you watching the kids today. I feel like we haven’t talked in ages.”

“I’ve got some time,” Blue shrugged. “You and Milo coming to the saloon tonight?”

“Oh, I might. I’m not sure yet. Milo wanted to take the kids out camping, but I doubt they’ll want to after all the excitement today, you know?”

She and Blue wandered into the living room. Blue had always liked their house. It sprawled over a decent lawn, neat and tidy, backing up to a huge ranch full of sheep and cows. The house itself was painted baby blue, each room carefully color coordinated in different pastels. Before Whitney and Milo moved in, it had been a dull gray with earthy interiors, but still no less neat or majestic.

Blue knew Whitney had dedicated countless days and nights to ensure everything turned out just right. It wasn’t the house she had originally wanted. All throughout childhood, Whitney had insisted that she would be moving out to somewhere grander.

But when she and Milo started researching other properties, they found that the cheapest place to set up and ranch was here at home. Blue wondered if she regretted it at all. She had always been picky and indecisive.

“Chocolate milk?” Whitney offered. “It’s all we got right now, unless you want some apple juice.”

“Chocolate milk is fine,” Blue said, and Whitney retreated to the kitchen to pour a glass.

“So, what’ve you been up to recently, anyways?” Whitney asked upon her return. She settled into the overstuffed pink armchair to Blue’s right. He gingerly sat on the red-leather sofa, hoping he wasn’t getting too much grime on it.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Collecting numbers, breaking hearts,” he joked.

“Ah yes. The great womanizer of Pallet Town who hasn’t been on a date in years,” Whitney said. “Please, do tell who you’re seducing now. Is it the new neighbor? What’re they like, anyways?”

Blue shrugged. “Nah, I’m just helping Gramps with research, as per usual. The new neighbor’s nice. His name’s Red. Real strong and silent type.”

“Not someone you’d date, then,” Whitney laughed. “I bet Milo twenty bucks you’d try and get in their pants their first week here, reformed womanizer or no, but I guess I’ll have to take that back.”

_I’d date Red,_ Blue thought, frowning. _Wait. Wait, would I?_ He didn’t notice Whitney smirk as he dropped that train of thought and collected his retort. “Hey, that’s rude. Really? Making bets on my sex life?”

Whitney rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I remember a certain someone asking people to dare him to flirt with the kids in Viridian all throughout high school.”

“Hey, I was what, sixteen? Come on, look at me. I’m an old man now.”

“I suppose,” Whitney said. “But that’s a bummer the new guy’s quiet. I wanted someone else around to gossip with. All Dawn’ll talk about anymore is how she’s moving to Sinnoh. And I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s super cool she’s got her whole new life and all, but I prefer to not be told twenty-four seven that my Bachelorette-watching-marathon buddy is ditching me.”

Blue hadn’t considered that much before. Whitney and Dawn were really close, even with Dawn being so much younger. She probably was dreading Dawn’s absence more than anybody.

“I’ve been thinking a lot, too,” Whitney continued.

“Oh, you do that now?” Blue asked. Whitney chucked a pillow at him before continuing.

“I’m not sure that we have that big of a future here. I mean, I love the ranch. Love it. It’s perfect. And Milo would hate to leave, too. Rosa and Nate would adapt, I’m sure. Rosa’s already asking if she can go to middle school up in Viridian. But we’re just not growing, you know? Just not thriving.” Whitney looked over at Blue. “You almost escaped, Blue, and then you came back. What’s up with that, anyways?”

“I told you before. I just felt like coming home. Besides, my grandfather’s not going to live forever. He may seem healthy now, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes.” Blue leaned back, turning his gaze to the ceiling. “Plus, I wanted to be closer to Daisy. I don’t have a whole lot of family left.”

Whitney smirked. “You could always  _ make _ some more.”

“Whitney, no offense, but your children cured me of  _ any _ desire I had to procreate today.”

Whitney laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Got me there. They sure are cute when they’re little, though.”

“Sure.”

Blue sipped his chocolate milk. It was overly sweet, just as everything prepared by Whitney was. He didn’t understand how she stayed so skinny throughout the years with all the sugar she consumed.

“Did Nate get to see a slime?” Whitney asked after a while. “He  _ has _ been really excited about them recently.”

“Yeah. We saw an absolute behemoth out there.”

“Actually?”

“Yup.”

“That’s good.”

Blue set the glass down on the white coffee table. “Well, I’ve gotta get going now. Thanks for having me over, and good luck with Rosa.”

Whitney stuck her tongue out. “Maybe we’ll see you at the saloon tonight?”

“You know that’s where I’ll be.”

**-line break-**

Candice and Maylene waved at Red as he stepped into the saloon. They had taken the large circle booth in the corner, glasses of water and menus all spread out on the table. He nodded at them and slid in next to Joey, who grinned giddily.

“How’ve you been, Red?” Candice asked, setting down her menu. “Anything happening on the farm?”

“Just that shiny new water filtration system, right?” Maylene asked. “Guess who helped install _that_ today. Joey?”

“I carried the toolbox with Iris!” the little boy said proudly. “And held the wrench!”

“Wow, taking after your mama, I see,” Candice said. “I need to get you two working the register at the store! Someone needs to take my place one day, too!”

“I can!” Iris shouted. “Me!”

Candice smiled at her daughter before turning back to Red. “But actually, how’ve you been?”

Red shrugged. “Good.”

“You’ve been here what, a couple weeks now? Is Pallet Town everything you’d hoped?”

Red hadn’t really hoped for much when he left. He’d barely thought at all, past the fear that he’d be left an empty shell alone in a city and the curiosity behind the letter that sent him to begin with. Actually, he still didn’t know what the story was behind that. Who was his grandfather who had left him?

Red hummed in response and studied the menu. He figured someone would have to know about his grandfather. The town was tiny and with everyone as nosy as they were, it should only be a matter of asking around.

Maybe they’d know something about his mom or dad, too. He really had no idea about either of their childhoods. He just knew his mom was born somewhere in Kanto before growing up in Johto. Both his grandparents had passed away when he was young, but he had faint memories of both of them from childhood. They both lived in Goldenrod, though, where his mom grew up.

He wondered, not for the first time, if him getting the deed was some kind of mistake. But then again, it had his full name on it, so it couldn’t have been a mistake. But if it was his dad’s side, they really had no way of knowing about him, right?

A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. “Hello! It’s good to see you all here tonight.” Red looked up to see a tall, slender girl with slightly wavy light brown hair in a plain grey outfit. “You, uh, must be Red, right?” He nodded. “I’m Jasmine. I run the saloon. Pleasure to meet you.”

He stuck out his hand, which she took. Her fingers were long and thin, a sharp contrast from his wide, thick palms.

“And Iris!” she continued. “You look even bigger from the last time I saw you!”

“Yeah!” Iris agreed. “I eat veggies!”

“Wow! Good job, Iris. Now, what can I get you all tonight?”

As they went around placing their orders, Red noticed Blue walk in. He was clearly just showered, spiky hair drooping with dampness, wearing fresh clothes for the evening. Blue beelined straight towards the bar counter, Dawn immediately passing him a glass of vodka and orange juice.

Well. Good thing he wouldn’t be handling that tonight, right?

He noticed the two old women he’d seen before had claimed a table with the mayor once more, all sipping tea and observing everyone else. Two teenage kids walked in a bit after, both with the same hue of brown hair dressed in matching denim. They waved at Dawn before heading towards the arcade.

Red still needed to check that out.

The saloon, all in all, didn’t seem quite as busy as it had last Saturday but still felt full and lively. There really wasn’t anywhere else for people to go on the weekends, Red figured, unless they made the trip up to Viridian City.

The service ran slow, like before, not that anyone cared. The sleepy town had nowhere to rush to, really. More people trickled in through the night and the pleasant parlor music slowly drifted to a background hum while conversations picked up. Once Red’s chicken sandwich was delivered to the table, he made sure to eat it slow, too.

Though for all it felt like Pallet Town barely managed to trudge along, Red’s own life felt like it was moving faster than it ever had before. He’d talked more in the past week than he felt like he had in a year, and made more pleasant memories than he could recount in maybe a decade. He just had a lot to do, he supposed, moving onto the farm and all. His old life took almost zero maintenance. Here, his existence was still an everyday process he had to constantly adjust.

“Something bothering you, Red?” Maylene asked after a while, and he realized he’d zoned out their entire conversation up until this point.

He shook his head. “Just thinking.”

“Ah, well don’t do that too much or you’ll hurt yourself. I think we’re going to go check out the arcade here in a minute if you’re about done with your food.”

Red looked down at his half-eaten sandwich. “I’ll catch up,” he said. Maylene nodded and the family made their way out of the booth, Joey pausing a moment before following his parents and sister.

“I gotta show you Junimo Kart!” he said excitedly. “It’s the best!”

Red nodded. “I’ll be there after I eat.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

Joey smiled and chased after the rest of his family.

Red continued eating, now surrounded by empty plates. He glanced over to where Blue was sitting at the bar, now joined by a short woman with bright pink hair. She seemed to be laughing at him.

Red set down his sandwich, now not hungry, and got up. He wasn’t actually sure where he intended to go, though, and he figured it’d be weird to just walk into the arcade after telling Candice and Maylene he’d catch up with them later.

So he went to the bathroom instead. The two stalls look well-kept, with old-timey wooden doors decorated with black cowboy hates and brass handles. The mirrors were framed, and the sinks were made out of brushed steel.

Red looked in the mirror and felt like he needed to be wearing suspenders and sporting a mustache to fit in. He sighed at his hat hair, all stuck up at weird angles since he took his cap off at the entrance. He wondered if he should introduce himself to the girl talking to Blue.

No, that’d be weird, wouldn’t it? And they both seemed like they were drinking, too, so that might make it extra weird. He’d meet her eventually; the town was so small it was inevitable.

Red took his time washing his hands before walking back out, where he ran face-first into Lenora.

“Oh, hi Red,” she said. “How’ve you been?”

Red shrugged.

“Well, if you have a moment, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you something,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “See, I work with Mayor Fuji to organize a lot of the festivals and events in Pallet Town, and in two weeks we’ll be having the Egg Festival. I wanted to invite you to our planning meeting Monday. It’s a great chance to get to know some of the other townspeople. It’s fine if you can’t make it, though. I understand if you’re busy now. But if you’d like to join, we’ll be in the library Monday afternoon!”

Red nodded and offered a smile.

“Well, have a good night! See you around,” Lenora said, and walked into the bathroom.

Blue was now sitting at the bar alone, face in his arms. The pink-haired girl he’d been talking with had moved to a table with a broad-shouldered man and two children. They looked like family.

Red wasn’t sure why he found that to be a relief. He decided to check on Blue later and then walked into the arcade.

The arcade room was spacious, with a high ceiling, dark mahogany walls, and a corner full of bean bags and circle chairs. The two kids he’d seen walk in earlier were enraptured in an aggressive game of air hockey, while Joey stood on a stool in front of a machine brightly labeled “Junimo Kart.” Iris was sitting in Candice’s lap in a racing simulator, while Maylene aggressively pounded the buttons on some sort of street-fighting game.

Red walked over to Joey, who excitedly started to babble on about Junimo Kart while Red watched. He thought he’d played a similar game on his old Gameboy growing up. Joey seemed fairly unfazed as his cart fell to its death time after time in a row.

“Now you try!” he said while a little apple creature danced across the screen in front of the words “GAME OVER.”

Red wasn’t sure if he should purposely try to suck to make Joey feel better, but figured it was a single player game and thus probably fine to be good at it. He could never be sure with this sort of thing.

He pressed the start button on the title screen, and the little apple jumped into a cart on the track. Red expertly navigated through the first five levels without a problem, while Joey watched on in amazement.

His expertise caught the attention of the kids playing air hockey, who abandoned their match to cheer him on as well. He tried not to crack under the pressure of everyone watching him, directing all his focus instead to the little apple in the cart.

“I’m gonna go get Blue,” the boy said after a moment. “He’s gonna be _so mad_ someone beat his high score.”

Red felt cold sweat trickle down his neck. He wasn’t sure if a drunk Blue would be good to have around kids, or if he could handle the pressure of an actual adult watching him play the game. Especially Blue.

“You should wait for Blue to come over before doing the next level,” the girl said as the pause screen for level 7 came up. “I want him to see.”

Red shrugged.

“What’s your name, anyways? I’m Hilda. And that was my brother, Hilbert.”

“Red.”

Hilda gasped. “That’s so cool! Have you met Blue? I always worry people think I make him up because his name’s a color, but you two, like, match!”

Red wasn’t sure who in the village would think she was making him up since they did, indeed, live in a village where everyone knew everyone, but he chose not to dwell on it too much. “We’ve met,” he mumbled.

“Red lives on a farm,” Joey informed Hilda. “I saw it today!”

“Really? That’s cool, I guess. Hilbert and I live down by the beach. But we’re going to school in Viridian next year, so we’re going to move out.”

Red didn’t really have a response to that, but thankfully(?) he was saved by a stumbling Blue leaning on Hilbert.

“ _Red_?” He said incredulously. “ _You’re_ the one beating my Jum-Junimo high score?”

Red shrugged.

“And _Hilda,_ I need to talk to your _parents_ about things you’ve been telling Rosa,” Blue added, turning his gaze to the girl.

Hilda rolled her eyes. “Whatever, not my fault she keeps asking questions and Bertha’s sex ed is-”

“ _There is an eight year old right here,”_ Blue cut her off, pointing at Joey, who was hanging off Red’s sleeve begging him to start the next level. Hilda stuck her tongue at and turned back to the machine.

“You can start now, Red,” she said. Red uncertainly glanced at Blue before starting the next level, trying not to worry if Blue was judging him.

Ultimately, he failed, and the cart ran into the second rock on the track. Blue laughed, even while Red filled in his name to claim the new high score. The next four scores after him were all labelled “BLU” followed by “HIL.” Red wondered which of the twins had made it so far.

“Which one of you made it this far for him?” he demanded, pushing Red off the machine. “Now look how a _master_ does it.”

“You’re drunk, though,” Hilbert pointed out.

“No, I’m tipsy.”

“I think you’re drunk,” Hilda agreed.

“ _Tipsy._ You kids don’t even know what alcohol is. Red, watch and learn.”

Blue died on the first level. Red chuckled.

“Drunk,” Hilda said again.

“You shush or I’ll tell your parents what you’ve been doing,” Blue threatened.

“You’re gonna do that anyways, drunkard.”

“I’m just tipsy!”

“Walk in a straight line.”

“You two spend too much time on the internet, I swear,” Blue grumbled. He stumbled back towards the arcade door, clearly zig-zagging. “See? Fine.”

“Maybe we can ask Ms. Maylene to take him home?” Hilbert said uncertainly. Red shook his head.

“I got it,” he mumbled, walking over to his inebriated friend.

“Come back tomorrow!” Hilda said. “I want to see you beat the whole game! I’m pretty sure there’s just nine levels.”

“You looked it up, didn’t you?” Hilbert said accusingly. Hilda shrugged.

Red, meanwhile, wondered how he ended up in this position again, Blue slumped against his side as they walked towards his house. At least he wouldn’t have to spend the night again, right?

He pushed the front door open to Blue’s house and dragged him upstairs, dumping him onto his bed.

“Red, you wouldn’t _believe_ the day I had,” Blue said, face half buried in his pillow. Red checked the time. He really wanted to get going before 10pm. “It _sucked_. Kids _suck._ And I hate Philucy.” Red thought Philucy was a really weird name for a kid, but hey, maybe It was a cultural thing. And his name was just Red, after all.

“I gotta go home,” Red said. Blue grabbed his arm.

“You can spend the night I just _have_ to tell you about this.”

Red’s willpower crumbled and he found himself sitting next to Blue, trying to stay awake as he rambled on about his adventure in the woods.

Red was disappointed to discover Philucy was the slime’s new name. He’d mentally named the behemoth Arnold.

Oh well.

Red did leave the second Blue was asleep, though. He had work to do in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i was a camp counselor a twelve year old asked me what roofies are, an eight year old provided an extremely interesting definition of transgenderism, and some had some very, very interesting political takes adapted straight from their parents
> 
> they gonna turn out alright though. i think. if they get better guidance than what i could provide.
> 
> anyways dont u guys just love iris


	6. Foreigner's God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her eyes look sharp and steady,  
> Into the empty parts of me.
> 
> Still my heart is heavy  
> With the hate of some other man's beliefs
> 
> Always a well dressed for  
> Who wouldn't spare the wrong -  
> Never for me
> 
> Screaming the name  
> Of a foreigner's God

Lenora smiled at Red as he stepped into the library, hoping he didn’t look as out of place as he felt. Mayor Fuji, Dawn, Hilda, Brock, and one of the old women all sat around a circular table near a whiteboard off to the side. The library smelled pleasant, a mix of old books and lemon, with comforting shelves filling one half of the room and tables and study spaces spread in the other. A handful of townspeople sat across the other tables, many on their laptops. Wide glass doors in the middle of the wall led to a small computer lab.

Various photos of Pallet Town through the years decorated the walls, with pressed native flowers and various local gemstones resting atop the bookshelves. The entire building held a strong sense of community pride.

“Red! I’m glad you came,” Lenora said. “We’re just getting started. Have we all met before?”

Red shook his head as he took the last empty seat between Hilda and Brock. He hoped the teenager was kind to him; she had seemed a bit intimidating last Friday, and she seemed to know Blue well.

“Well, let’s go around the table then and introduce ourselves,” Lenora said. Red nodded through the names he knew until they reached the old woman.

“I’m Bertha, dear,” she said kindly. “I am the teacher in Pallet Town. Hilda has been one of my students!”

Hilda sunk a bit in her chair, cheeks reddening.

“Okay, so now that that’s out of the way, we need to plan for the Egg Festival. Hilda, can you explain our normal Egg Festival traditions?”

“Sure. We, uh, normally have a ton of spring food for a feast and decorate the whole town with balloons. There’s a giant egg hunt for the kids before the feast, and we have an egg coloring contest in the afternoon. Then Mayor Fuji leads us all in, like, a prayer for a good summer harvest and stuff. Then everyone goes home and naps while us six and Hilbert clean up.” She shrugged. “I think that’s about it.”

“More than just us six clean up!” Brock countered. “Nurse Joy always takes time to help. And usually Jasmine and Blue, too. Professor Oak, if he’s feeling well.”

Hilda fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Yeah.”

“So, we need to figure out what we’re going to stuff the eggs for the hunt with, when we all have time to get together and do that, and inventory all of our decorations and dying supplies,” Lenora summarized. “Red, also, we will need help hiding all of the eggs. Can you help us that morning?”

Red nodded.

“Perfect, I’ll write your name down for that, then. And Hilda, you said you and your brother could come too?”

“I dunno if Hilbert will be up, but yeah, I’ll be.”

“Great, thank you.”

The meeting drudged along, but Red did his best to stay focused. Lenora was clearly passionate about providing the best possible festival for the townspeople. It kind of reminded Red of his mom, in a way, and the meticulous planning she put into each and every one of his birthdays as a child.

Hilda seemed even more bored than him, with only Brock and Mayor Fuji actively providing input. Bertha seemed content to just compliment everyone on their ideas and share the occasional story of Egg Festivals passed.

“Why,” she said at one point, resting her chin onto her wrinkled hand, “I remember when Blue was about your age, Hilda, and Brock here just a tad bit older. Candice had been planning her Egg Festival outfit for weeks with Whitney and was trying to fashion something for Dawn as well, but Blue hid rotten eggs in her dresser the night before so everything smelled terrible. So Brock here spent the entire morning helping her wash them with every scented soap they could find.” Bertha laughed. “She got her revenge, of course. She cracked a raw egg right over Blue’s head before the festival, and Maylene dumped half a jar of sugar and salt into the egg salad closest to Blue and told everyone else beforehand not to eat it. Poor boy looked so sick after.”

“Should do that again,” Hilda muttered. Red glanced at her. “Dump a bunch of shit in Blue’s food,” she whispered to him.

Teenagers scared Red.

Night had fallen by the time the group dispersed. Red hung back for a while to pick up a couple books on the mines. Lenora smiled at him as he walked to the counter to check them out.

“Thank you for joining us,” she said as she scanned the bar codes. “I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with Blue as of late, and I wanted you to know that we’re not all as crazy as him. I understand if you’re too busy to stay with the event planning committee long, but I do hope to help you feel welcome. I know that moving to a completely new place can be hard. I remember one of my cousins moved out when I was in my twenties, and it was really hard on her at first. She adapted, of course, and I know you will too, but our community is here for you.”

“Thanks,” Red said, and she passed the books back to him.

“And if Blue ever gives you any trouble, let me know. We will set him straight.”

**-line break-**

Red barely saw Blue in the next two weeks between cleaning up his farm, installing the new water heater, fixing it after it immediately broke, and visiting the mines whenever he had the energy. It felt like life was starting to settle into place as time determinedly marched forward.

Things felt like they peaked the Thursday morning before the Egg Festival. He had woken up early to ensure he could make it to the egg hunt preparations at noon and started watering the field before sunrise. As light started to spill out over the fields, Red did his standard sweep through each row of crops, looking for any signs of damage. He finished with the trellises as always, taking extra caution to ensure the flimsy frames were still holding up as the plants grew larger.

Today, however, was special. Little starts to beans hung from the dense vines. Red felt his chest fill with joy as he studied the beginnings of his first crops. Alone on this farm, he had managed to produce something real. Something beautiful, real, and wholesome. Something that people could enjoy.

He wished his mom was there to share the moment with him.

He wished any of the people who had helped him so much – Blue, Maylene, Candice, Dawn, or Brock – could sit next to him and see this.

Red sunk to his knees. Maybe… maybe he could invite Blue over, after the meeting. And show him.

Or would that be weird? Would Blue think it strange to come over just to stare at some bean sprouts? Probably.

Red sighed, pushing the notion from his mind, and took time to absorb the entirety of the moment in solitude.

**-line break-**

“Gramps!” Blue called from across the lab. “Gramps, what’d we do for the intern before? Did we pay them hourly or just give them a couple grand stipend?”

“What was that?!” Gramps called back. Blue sighed, knowing he heard perfectly well, before getting up and walking across the room.

“I asked how we paid our interns before. I couldn’t remember if we gave them stipends or just hourly pay.”

Gramps hummed. “We’ve done both before. I think the last one was a stipend, though. I can go check our paperwork tonight. Did someone contact you?”

“Yeah, some girl named Leaf. Biology major studying at Saffron State, which is a pretty good school for the natural sciences if I remember right. Solid resume, sounds like she’s going to pursue a masters. Entering her junior year this fall.”

“She’s going to actually stay in Pallet, right? That kid commuting from Viridian a couple years ago had more travel troubles than I ever want to deal with again,” Gramps said, preparing a petri dish sample for the microscope. “Also, who’s she going to be under?”

“Not sure. Going to interview her Monday if you want to join in on that. I’m just trying to figure out what to tell her about the position and accommodations.”

“Hmm. I doubt she’d want to live with us two old grouches in the house.”

“Yeah, not sure that’d be too professional.” _Plus, Red needs somewhere to stay when he’s in town._ “But there’s not really any temporary housing here, so I guess she’d have to stay with someone in town.”

Gramps nodded. “Bummer the beach rental got torn down three years ago, isn’t it?”

“The only people who ever stayed there were your interns, and then you didn’t take any for two years. Of course it got torn down.”

Gramps shrugged. “Bummer all the same. Do you think Maylene and Candice have any extra space above that store of theirs?”

“I dunno, Gramps. I think Dawn’s got an extra room in her place. I’ll see if anyone’s willing to set up an area for rent, go check how we paid the last guy, and get back to Leaf tonight.”

Gramps hummed, pleased. “You’ve come a long way, Blue.”

“Oh god, I can’t listen to this right now. I’m going.”

He spun on his heel and headed to the front of the lab and up the stairs to their shared office and storage area. Despite the tidiness of their house and main lab, everything in storage was a mess topped with dust. Blue swore under his breath as he stubbed his toe on a box as he climbed towards the rows of filing cabinets.

The first drawer jammed as he tried to open it, overstuffed with old papers and reports. Blue forced it closed and tried the next, sneezing as dust released into the air.

“Maybe the intern can clean this shithole up,” he muttered, flipping through the stacks of old equipment receipts. Did they still really need all this?

The third drawer caught him off guard. Inside sat a stack of photos, thankfully still intact, of Blue, Daisy, and their parents. Blue felt his breath catch in his throat.

They had passed when Blue was too young to remember, his only memories an echo of his mom softly singing and his dad spinning him in circles. Still, the ache of their absence tugged at him with every major milestone: his high school graduation, college graduation, first publication, Daisy’s wedding. He often resented the reminders at all these events that everyone else had complete families; everyone else had loving parents.

He appreciated his grandfather and sister dearly, and wouldn’t trade them for the world. Honestly, he couldn’t picture his life any differently than it was.

But…

He still wondered if they’d be proud of him. If they’d support the choices he made, even the stupid ones. If they’d still be here in Pallet Town, or if they would have moved on by now. Growing up, especially when he fought with Gramps as a teenager, he often wondered how his life would have been different had his parents still been around.

He gently placed the pictures back where they had sat before.

Gramps had done his best in raising Blue and Daisy, rocky years or no. He had done everything in his power to provide his grandchildren with the life their parents wanted them to have, with assistance from the rest of town. And Blue loved him for that, loved him more fiercely than words could describe.

Still, he owed his parents a visit sometime. It’d been a while since he brought them flowers.

**-line break-**

Blue threw his arm around Red’s shoulders the second he saw him at the Egg Festival. Red straightened as a result, just to make Blue struggle with the height difference.

“What’s good, farmboy?” Blue asked, pretending not to notice.

“Eggs,” Red said.

The entire village seemed to be covered in them, after all. A large feast table was set up in the center of the plaza, covered in glazed hams, mashed potatoes, and rows and rows of white, hard-boiled eggs. Egg-shaped balloons stretched from every building while pastel streamers webbed between the roofs. Oval tables decorated with little porcelain bunnies, ducklings, and squirrels were spread neatly throughout the rest of the area. And, of course, young children sprinted to and fro with baskets full of plastic eggs.

Blue laughed. “Yup, that seems to be the theme today. I heard you helped hide the goods this morning?”

Red looked at him, dark rings under his eyes, and nodded.

Blue chuckled. “Good god, how early did they drag you out of bed for this?”

“5am.”

“Jesus. You poor sap. Well, if you ever want to step away, my bed’s open.”

Wait shit. That came out wrong.

Blue pulled his arm back, blood rushing to his face. “I mean, you know. If you need to rest.”

Red pulled his cap down some and nodded.

The two stood in uncomfortable silence for a while.

“I need to find someone named Marshal,” Red said at last.

“Oh, he’s pretty easy to spot,” Blue said, grateful to move onto the next subject. “He dresses in the most garish neon blue shirts you’ve ever seen. Hmm, let’s see… Looks like he’s talking with Maylene right now. Let’s head over.”

He grabbed Red by the hand and pulled him off in the pair’s direction. Maylene waved as they approached.

“Hey guy’s, what’s up?” she asked. “Marshal and I were just talking about you.”

Red shrugged uncomfortably, and Blue suddenly wished he knew what it was Red had wanted.

“I heard you’re looking to refinish your floors,” Marshal said. Blue tried to fight down the pang of jealousy as Marshal explained to Red his different options for getting it done, Red giving the tall man his full attention.

Some part of Blue wanted to offer to help, but he knew Marshal and Maylene already had these things covered. He’d learned the hard way as a teenager that butting into these things would just make him look like an ass, and that’s the last opinion he wanted Red to have of him.

Not that he cared that much about Red’s opinion.

Well, he sort of did. Because they were good friends and all that.

Blue wondered if Red thought that they were good friends. Red didn’t seem to have many other people close in his life, other than maybe Maylene and… Lenora? Were they pals now? Red had started attending all her community committee things, and that was basically the fastest way to get on her good side.

Shit, who _were_ Red’s friends now? Who were his friends before?

Blue had seen that Red texted some guy named Ethan before, but, like, were they friends? Was it just an old roommate or something? An ex?

Was Red gay?

“Hey dumbass, try not to think too hard or your head’ll explode,” Maylene said, flicking Blue in the forehead. “Jeez, did talking about floors bore you so much you decided to try astral projecting? It looked like you were on the brink of an aneurism.”

“That’s not how aneurisms work. By the way, do you and Candice happen to have a room you’d be willing to rent?”

Maylene blinked. “Uh, what?”

“I’m interviewing some girl tomorrow who wants to intern for me and Gramps’ lab. We’re trying to figure out somewhere for her to stay in Pallet Town.”

Maylene hummed. “Our guest room’s currently full of Candice’s old shit she has yet to sort through. I doubt she’ll have it done by the summer, honestly, or anytime in the next decade… But I think Dawn’s got space? I mean, her house is small, but pretty sure there’s an empty room not doing anyone any good. I’d ask her. Or Brock – wait, wait he’ll be housing Misty once she comes at the end of the summer. Well, if your intern leaves early enough, Brock might be a safe bet.”

“I’ll just ask Dawn,” Blue said. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, whatever. Who’s this intern?”

“Oh, just some girl from Saffron. I’m not even sure if we’ll hire her yet. Still need to interview her.”

“Huh. I kinda remember seeing the last guy around. Where did he stay?”

“Up in Viridian. He was barely around outside of work hours, and even then he was late half the time due to traffic. That’s why we’re hoping this year’s can just stay somewhere in town.”

“Who the hell would want to spend their summer here, anyways? Our beach sucks.”

“Well, despite the rest of this town’s shithole-ry, Gramps and I _do_ run a world-famous lab.”

“Why don’t any of your interns ever come back here, then? God knows our economy could benefit from some new blood.”

“You know, I’m not actually sure. Gramps hasn’t actually had an aide in years.” Blue wasn’t quite sure how he hadn’t considered this before. Probably because he’d just been so absorbed in getting his own studies started and tying up all the loose ends from his travels.

The lab would really do well to grow, honestly. And it’d be nice to have somebody else studying the slimes. If Blue never saw Philurcy again it’d be too soon.

A bell chimed loudly, and the crowd turned to face Mayor Fuji and Lenora standing at the head of the table.

“The egg hunt has reached its conclusion, and the eggs have been counted,” Lenora announced. “Mayor Fuji, would you do the honor of declaring our winner?”

“My pleasure,” he said and cleared his throat. “This year, _Rosa_ was our winner, finding an astonishing 19 eggs! Joey was not too far behind, at 15 eggs. Will our winner and runner-up please come forward to accept their prizes?”

Dawn snapped photos with a large camera while Mayor Fuji gently placed a medal over Rosa’s bowed head. Lenora handed her a large arts and crafts kit, brightly colored and decorated with unicorns and robots. Rosa giddily skipped back to her parents while Joey accepted the large stuffed bunny. Maylene ran over to catch him in a hug as he returned to Candice and his sister. The camera flashed just as he reached her arms.

“That’ll be a beautiful photo,” Marshal commented. Red nodded in agreement.

“Now, I must ask everyone to come round the feast table and join hands,” Mayor Fuji continued. The crowd slowly formed a circle around the center of the plaza, and Blue tried not to think too much about Red’s hand in his, about the feel of his warm, wide fingers gently pressing into his knuckles or the rough callouses pressing into his own hardened skin.

“It is time for us to reflect,” Mayor Fuji stated. “The cold snows from the winter have melted away, and their chilly waters run through the veins of our humble valley. Spring blooms to life, a fresh pallet of colors for us to paint the next chapter of our lives. I ask each of us to consider: what will that chapter look like? What lessons have these cold waters carried with them? Who will we look to, to pull our freezing souls out from the frigid ocean depths, so that we may warm together and close the start of this spring?”

Blue had heard this speech every year from his infancy until he left for college, and every year he felt it take on a new meaning. He snuck a glance at Red, wondering what he thought, hearing it for the first time. It probably sounded a bit… intense to a newcomer.

“We ask those who protect this valley to look upon our children, precious and young, and allow them to grow strong, like our flooding rivers that water our crops and keep us quenched, sturdy, like the mountains that keep our valley safe, and beautiful, like the flowers that return, year after year. We ask our guardians to look upon our elderly, proud and wise, and allow them to pass tradition to our children, just as the ocean passes beautiful shells to our shores, year after year. And finally, we ask that those spirits beyond us look upon our townsfolk – our men and our women – who toil day after day to help you in your efforts in making this valley prosperous. Amen.”

“Amen,” the rest of the table muttered, heads still hung, hands still together. Awed silence hung in the air, delicate. Mayor Fuji let it sit as long as he could before the children started to grow antsy.

“And with that,” he concluded, “it is time to feast!”

Blue sighed at the loss of Red’s hand and got to work stacking his plate high with fresh greens, glazed ham, and potatoes. Red stuck close to him as they made their way back to a table. Lenora and Dawn joined moments later, laughing over something.

Blue frowned into his food. Red couldn’t be gay – not with the way he looked at Dawn the first time they went to the saloon. But she was too young for him, and leaving soon. Well, not soon. But eventually. Far enough out that they could potentially start dating, except for the fact that Red was probably in his late twenties at _least_ and Dawn had just turned 21.

“Red, how old are you again?” Blue asked.

“Thirty.”

Yeah, he was way too old for Dawn. They couldn’t be a thing. That’d be weird if they were.

But he still appreciated her beauty, right? Dawn _was_ pretty, especially when there were so few people her age in town to compare her too.

So Red was probably straight.

Actually, all things considered, he’d probably end up with Jasmine. Jasmine was still kind of young for him, but it wasn’t like there were exactly a whole lot of options in Pallet. Four years wasn’t too big of a gap.

They were pretty similar, Blue mused. Both quiet, studious, and down-to-earth. They’d make a good couple. Had they met yet? Blue should introduce them.

“Have you met Jasmine?” Blue asked.

Red nodded.

Shit. Well, Blue wouldn’t do that, then. He sunk into his chair. God, Red probably already liked her. Jasmine was pretty too, after all. Not in the sparkly, shiny way Dawn was, but in the very natural, down-to-earth sense. Like Red was.

They would look good together, too, what with Red’s broad shoulders and strong frame and Jasmine’s slender-

Red waved a hand in front of his face and Blue coughed awkwardly, refocusing on his food and the conversation.

“Blue, I asked if you need to talk to me about something,” Dawn said. Lenora chuckled. Blue internally panicked. Did she know he wanted to know about her and Red? He already figured it out that it was Jasmine who Red- “Something about a room and an intern?”

Oh.

Right.

“Yeah,” Blue said, cutting a piece of his ham. “Gramps and I might be hiring an intern this summer, and we’re trying to find a place for her to stay. Maylene mentioned that you might have an open room, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to rent it to her.”

Dawn shrugged. “How much’ll she pay?”

“Oh, we’d cover it as part of the deal. How much do you want?”

“A hundred a month is fine. Pallet’s not really a destination city, after all.”

“Dawn, really? We could give you more than that. Make it one-fifty.”

“This is not how bargaining works,” Lenora muttered, picking at her salad.

“Shush, I can pay my friends as much as I want,” Blue said. Dawn gasped and clutched a hand to her chest.

“You consider me your _friend?_ ” she asked incredulously. “It was just last month you told me I’d never afford Jubilife University if I kept ‘blowing my life savings on worthless face dirt!’” She signaled the quotations with her fingers, sticking her tongue out at the end.

Blue snorted. “Yeah, and you still won’t, which is why I’m trying to help you out with the extra cash. Just do me a favor and put it towards your tuition and not another face dirt palette”

“So kind, really,” Dawn drawled, stirring her lemonade with a metal straw, because of course Dawn would ensure the whole festival used only reusable straws. Blue wondered what miserable soul would have to take a pipe cleaner and scrub each one later.

“So Red,” Lenora interrupted, “what do you think of the Egg Festival?”

Red, true to form, shrugged. “It’s cool,” he said between bites of food. “Food’s good.”

“Do you think you’d be willing to help us with the Flower Dance, too?”

Red paused, confused.

“It’s the other spring festival,” Dawn explained hurriedly. “It’s also an old tradition around here, originally focused on celebrating fertility and encouraging young couples to, uh,” Dawn blushed, “couple.”

Blue snorted. “That’s quite a fancy way of saying fuck, Dawn.”

Lenora huffed. “Don’t make it sound like an orgy, you two! It’s just a dance. And couples are encouraged to go home in pairs afterwards. Not that you need to be in a couple to participate! We just basically have a feast – much smaller than this one today – and go through some traditional dances while some perform old folk songs. There’s also the traditional dress, which can actually be pretty fun. Dawn and Whitney will be fixing up the outfits this year.”

“Yup.” Dawn loudly slurped through her straw. “And you, Blue, will not be escaping us this year. You _will_ participate in the singles dance. It’s mandatory. Required by law.”

“Only if you make Red dance, too.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Dawn said, eyes sparkling with mischief. “We will.”

**-line break-**

Naturally, Dawn and Brock coerced Blue into helping with clean-up. More naturally, they put him on straw-cleaning duty in the saloon kitchen. At least Red was the one tasked with carrying in the dirty dishes.

The sun set as they toiled on, and Blue started trying to think of a way to invite Red over for the night. Hands wrinkled and numb from washing an entire town’s worth of dishes, he reached for Red as the pair stepped outside.

Shockingly enough, Red spoke before he could.

“I want to show you something,” he said quietly.

“What is it?” Blue asked

Red stood, silent for a moment, back against the saloon wall, gaze set up on the stars. “My farm.”

Blue didn’t know quite what to say to that.

“My… plants are fruiting. I have beans now.”

Blue wondered if Red would keep talking if he stayed silent. His fingers tightened around Red’s arm as he waited, but Red stayed silent, his eyes squeezing shut.

“That’s wonderful, Red,” Blue said finally. “I would love to come see.”

“You don’t have to,” Red mumbled, dropping his head. Blue felt Red’s forearm stiffen as he clenched his fist.

“No, Red,” Blue insisted. “I would _love_ to. Your farm has come such a long ways since you moved in, I’d be happy to see your first big success.”

Red let out a breath, and Blue’s heart skipped a beat.

“Say, do you want to come over for tea?” Blue asked. “It’s a bit late to walk home, I think.” Though Red had definitely left at later times.

Red nodded.

“Cool. Just wait here while I dry the last of the dishes, and we can head to my place.”

Red shook his head. “I’ll help,” he insisted, and the two went into the kitchen together. The only sound between them was the clinking of plates as they stacked them, one on top of the other.

“That should be good,” Blue said at last. “I don’t know where Brock or Jasmine like to keep any of this stuff, so we can just leave them here for the night. They’ll yell at us in the morning if they want us to move them.”

The pair walked to the Oak house, listening to the wind rustle through the tree branches and light conversation drift out from open windows. Overhead, the stars shone brighter than ever.

Gramps had already called it a night, so Blue ushered Red into the living room while they waited for the kettle to heat.

“I know Lenora already asked,” Blue said, voice barely above a whisper, “but what’d you think of the festival? Really.”

Red shrugged. “It was different.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t grow up going to church or anything,” Red explained. “I’ve never talked about gods or guardians before.”

Blue nodded. “Yeah. Mainstream religion came hard and fast here, but we still clung onto most of our old beliefs throughout the centuries. The legend says that there are three elemental birds – the winged mirages - that keep watch over the valley, representing lightning, ice, and fire. They oversaw the creation of this place and kept it safe for millennium while the rest of the world fell into turmoil. Eventually, nothing else was left of the world. The birds only allowed those in who were pure of heart to start everything anew, and ensured that they grew sturdy and strong, like Fuji’s prayer said.”

Red hummed. “I felt foreign, listening.”

“Well,” Blue said, as the kettle started to whistle, “maybe you were today. But next year? You’ll know you’re home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, three elemental birds? who woulda thought
> 
> some part of blue was expecting red to want to show him something ~else~


	7. From Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honey you're familiar, like my mirror years ago  
> Idealism sits prison, chivalry fell on it's sword  
> Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know  
> I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door
> 
> Babe, there's something wretched about this  
> Something so precious about this  
> Oh what a sin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i could not get indents to work i am sorry i don't know why it wouldn't keep the formatting when it kept if for like everything else :(

Blue watched as Red tenderly combed his fingers through the green bean vines, gently displaying each little green bean start. The early morning light highlighted Red’s skin, which had noticeably darkened in the few weeks he’d been here. His silent pride tugged at something in Blue’s chest, and he silently wondered how he got so lucky as to share this moment.

“What’ll you do with your first harvest?” Blue asked, kneeling next to Red. He lifted a tentative hand to touch the bean stalks, before lowering it once more, worried to cause damage, even from the softest touch.

“Sell to Candice, Maylene, and Jasmine,” Red answered. His voice was as soft and deep as the damp earth they sat in, his ruby eyes sparkling like the koi fish Blue spent hours of his childhood watching.

Blue’s mind drifted back to Whitney’s words form before. Would he want to date Red? Blue had never felt so drawn to someone so opposite from him. He couldn’t deny how much he enjoyed spending time with the quiet farmer, but he knew nothing of Red or his life. He came from a city, had never farmed before in his life, knew a guy named Ethan, and seemed to like slimes. That was it.

Who was Red?

Did Red have these same questions about him?

“Why did you move to Pallet Town, Red?” Blue asked at last.

Red paused, sitting back on his heels. He studied his plants for a while longer before turning to Blue.

“My grandfather left me the deed to the farm,” Red said at last. He straightened his cap before turning his face to the sky, eyes gently closing. “I had nothing in the city anymore.”

Blue felt a pang in his chest. When he had been eighteen he had said the same of Pallet Town. Everyone was moving on and he needed to as well. It was just a small town, devoid of any opportunity, and the world was big beyond imagination. How could he tie himself down to a clump of houses and his grandfather’s lab?

Would Red eventually find that his hometown did hold something for him? Something he could find nowhere else, something he could never say no to?

But, then again, Blue was eighteen. Red was thirty now. This wasn’t some teenage dream of exploring the world and making a name for himself; this was a grown adult who knew what he wanted.

But, then again, being an adult didn’t really mean you knew what you wanted. Blue was familiar enough with that sensation.

“Any family?”

Red shook his head. “Dad left before I was born. Mom,” Blue noticed Red swallow, “died a few years ago. No siblings.”

“My parents died when I was young, so now it’s just me, Gramps, and my sister,” Blue said. “It can feel lonely at times.”

Red nodded.

“I can’t imagine what I’ll do when they’re gone.”

Red opened his mouth for a moment, as if to say something, before closing it once more and rubbing his eyes.

“I wish my mom were here,” he settled on at last. His shoulders hunched, his fists clenched and tight atop his tense legs, Red looked hard. Hard and empty.

Blue wrapped an arm around Red’s shoulders.

**-line break-**

“So, Blue, who are you going to ask to the Flower Dance?” Dawn asked, grinning as Blue slammed his hand against the Junimo Kart machine in frustration. How had Red gotten so good so quickly? It was midday, and the saloon was empty save him and Dawn, who was pulling her hair up as she prepared for her shift. She used the dark screen of the console next to him as a mirror.

“Not you,” Blue snapped, pounding the start button once more. He loved Dawn, he really did, but she had a habit of nosing into his business like nobody else. They both ignored the fact that when she was just a little girl and him a teenager, she was head over heels for him. It was addressed once at a party, both of them pretending to be drunker than they were, and they quickly reached the conclusion that her attraction was born from a lack of options.

Well, Dawn reached that conclusion. Blue had actually been kind of touched that someone liked him before she said that.

“You better not, old man,” Dawn said. “I’m going with Jasmine, as friends. She didn’t want to go alone this year.”

No, Blue thought, she’s trying to spend as much time as possible with you before you leave and she’s actually alone again.

“She could just, I dunno, do what I do and skip this year,” Blue said, gaze focused completely on the screen. “Probably preferable to your company.”

“Oh shut up,” Dawn laughed. Nobody took his insults seriously anymore. “You’re not skipping this year. And I think we all know who you’re asking.”

Blue glowered as his little Junimo fell into the abyss. “I beg your pardon?”

“Red? Hellooo, aren’t you going to go with him?”

Blue’s next Junimo crashed into a rock. “What makes you think I would want to do that?”

“Come on, don’t be stupid. You’ve spent, like, every hour with him you can afford to. And I happened to notice that he’s at your house, oh, I don’t know, every other night?”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Blue said as he started another game of Junimo Kart. “He just spends the night, in the guest room, when it’s too late for him to walk back to the farm alone. Besides, didn’t you tell me I’d be in the singles dance?”

Dawn waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve seen him head back to the farm at, like, 3am. I don’t think there’s a ‘too late’ for him to walk back to the farm.”

Blue sincerely hoped his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “Sometimes he just doesn’t feel like it.”

“Riiiiiight,” Dawn said. “I can’t tell if you’re in denial or you’re just trying to keep your little crush a secret or what, but you should probably ask him to the Flower Dance.”

“Why.” Maybe Red had the high score because Blue sucked at this game these days.

“I’ll let you figure that one out yourself,” Dawn said, smiling. “I’ll let you get back to, uh, what is this? Trying to reclaim your high score.” She walked out of the arcade, leaving Blue alone with his frustrations.

How would Red even respond to that kind of request? He wouldn’t want to dance. The traditional dances sucked and Blue enjoyed his single status so far to avoid having to participate in the worst ones. He had actually been planning to come up with some bullshit excuse to be out of town during this year’s dance to avoid the embarrassment of Red watching him.

He couldn’t handle the embarrassment of dancing with Red in front of everyone, or worse, asking and being rejected and dancing singles in front of Red.

Good god, he hated this place’s traditions.

**-line break-**

Byron invited Red out to drink with him and Crasher Wake one Friday after Red had a particularly successful haul, making it all the way into the Frozen Castle in the middle of the mines. Red hadn’t been sure what to think of the fact that such a beautiful, serene place existed so deep in the earth, full of angry skeletons and slimes.

He felt a bit awkward sitting with the two loud men in the saloon, each downing pint after pint while Red sipped a cherry seltzer, not sure why he was still there. Wake was attempting to explain the legend of the Crimsonfish and how he, himself, had wrangled it when he was Red’s age.

Red didn’t really know how to respond other than to nod along and pretend anything coming out of the bulky man’s mouth made sense while Byron, head down, loudly snored throughout their one-sided conversation.

Red silently prayed Wake would pass out soon, too, or that someone would somehow rescue him from this situation. Unfortunately, he seemed intent on staying up and alert while the other patrons buzzed about their lives, paying Red little notice.

His savior came in the form of Blue, who waved kindly before walking over to their section of the bar counter. He leaned in between Wake and Red, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders.

“Red,” Blue said, cutting Wake off mid-sentence, “did you know that Wake once caught the king of all fish, a fish only known by the name of Legend?” Sarcasm dripped off each of Blue’s words, not that Wake could notice in his drunken stupor.

“Now, Bluuue, you know that’s not right! I merely saw the gran’ Legend!” Wake said. “’Twas a rainy spring day, not too different from this one-”

“Or tomorrow, actually. Have you seen the forecast? Supposed to storm all day tomorrow. Are you going to go hunt down the Legend again?”

Wake pounded his fist on the table, laughing. “Oh, boy, you don’t just hunt down the Legend! The Legend finds you, if you’re worthy!”

“Of course,” Blue said. Red noticed his smile stretch a bit wider, a bit forced. “I heard Byron saw it once too but was too worried to tell you.”

“WhaaAAAAT?” Wake demanded, turning to his dozing friend.

“Now,” Blue whispered into Red’s ear, lowering his arm to grip Red’s wrist. “Wake, we’ll be back in a minute! Just gotta borrow Red from ya!”

Wake didn’t notice, too busy shaking Byron. Red glanced at Blue in confusion as they walked over to the arcade.

“Wake won’t even remember what he’s waking Byron for, the drunkard,” Blue laughed. “You gotta learn how to get out of drinking with them. They always ask, talk you into circles until you can’t say no, and then you get here and they’re so wasted in an hour they can’t produce a coherent thought. Now, onto more important business-”

The pair were cut off from shouting in the corner.

“You can’t ask her!” Hilda shrieked, throwing a pillow at her twin brother. “She’s, like, a baby!”

“She’s almost twelve, just a year younger! Who else would I ask? There’s, like, nobody in this fucking town!” Hilbert responded, shoving the pillow back at her. “Besides, she should be here any second, could you calm down? Why are you here, anyways?”

“You can’t just ask her because she’s your only option!” Hilda shouted back. “That’s horrible!”

“You’re just upset you’re going to be dancing in the singles alone with the little kids,” Hilbert snapped. “Why can’t you just let me do my own thing?”

“Because I was going to ask her!”

“You said you were asking some boy in Viridian!”

“I lied!”

“Liar! If you wanted to ask her, you should’ve done it already! I’m asking her now. God, why can’t you ever just leave me alone?” Hilbert all but screamed.

The twins glared at each other before Hilda, scowling and teary-eyed, marched out the door. Hilbert sunk onto the couch, breath heavy.

Red glanced at Blue, who pushed a finger to his lips and silently slid them into the racing game simulator.

Moments later, Rosa walked in, and Hilbert immediately rose to his feet while running his hand through his messy hair. Rosa marched up in front of him and glared, arms crossed.

“Well?” she demanded.

Hilbert paused, confused. “Well what?”

“Hilda was crying outside! What did you do to her?”

Hilbert’s face darkened considerably, and Red thought back to when Ethan first asked Lyra out. They were in their twenties, fresh out of college, and Ethan and Red had been rooming together for two years.

It had been obvious they liked each other. Red had grown tired of them constantly dancing around their feelings, and had been overwhelmingly relieved when Ethan approached him for help.

“I need you to be honest,” Ethan had said, puppy dog eyes wide as ever. “Do you think… Lyra would go out with me?”

Red had stared at him in bewilderment. “Yes?” No shit.

“Can you… can you help me ask her out? I want to make it special. I’ve been, uh, thinking about this a lot, and I got rose petals and confetti and stuff. I just need someone to throw all of it onto us when I ask. I mean, we’re going to go to the National Park. Actually, maybe we should cut the confetti, I don’t know if that’s biodegradable. But I mean, we’re going to go to the park, and I’m going to bring her to the fountain, and I need you to just drop a bunch of rose petals on us when I ask.”

Red had thought that sounded absolutely stupid and it took them hours to find a suitable place for him to hide. Lyra had been shocked, probably more than she should have been, when Ethan asked. Ethan started panicking and started backtracking, leading Lyra to thinking it was some sort of elaborate prank. A small audience had been watching the proceedings, until an elderly man shouted at Ethan to be upfront.

His best friend’s face was on fire with embarrassment as he stammered, before finally looking Lyra square in the eye.

“Lyra,” he had said with renewed determination, “I’m not joking. I could never joke about something I want this much. Lyra, I have liked you since the day we met, and fallen harder for you every day since. Having you in my life is a blessing. Please, give me a chance. One date.”

Of course, it just wasn’t one date. It was dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands. Lyra had laughed later, thanking Red for going through with her then-boyfriend’s ridiculous plan.

Years later, Red had helped recreate the scene for Ethan’s proposal.

His heart ached as the kids continued their conversation.

“I-I didn’t do anything. I just wanted to ask you something…” Hilbert had lost all confidence, just as Ethan had.

Rosa huffed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you would be so upset right now…” 

“Of course I’m upset! My best friend is outside crying!”

“Then why don’t you just go talk to her, then!” Hilbert blurted.

“I don’t know! I thought you wanted something!”

Red silently willed Hilbert to just ask the question.

“I do!”

“Then what!”

“I don’t want to ask while you’re mad at me for something I didn’t do!”

Rosa let out a noise of anguish before flopping onto the couch. “You boys are so stupid,” she grumbled before turning back to Hilbert. “Okay. I’m not mad. Maybe.”

Hilbert took a deep breath. “I was wondering if, you, uh, wanted to go to the Flower Dance with me.”

Silence.

“I, uh, got you this bracelet.”

Red and Blue watched as he pulled a small box from his pocket, offering it to Rosa.

“It’s roses. Because of your name. And the dance.”

Rosa blushed furiously as he placed the box into her hands, and she delicately opened it.

“Oh,” she said. “Um. I don’t think so this time, Hilbert. I’m sorry. I gotta go check if Hilda is okay.” She awkwardly passed the box back and darted out of the store. Hilbert stood, shocked, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and marching outside.

Red felt awkward and weird having witnessed such an intimate moment. Blue’s grip on his arm released, and Red realized he had forgotten about Blue there.

“That was awkward,” Blue said, stepping out of the racing game console. “I don’t think Hilda even likes Rosa like that. She was telling me the other day about that boy in Viridian, who most certainly wasn’t a lie.” He awkwardly leaned against the console and looked at Red. “Well, anyways, on a related note… uh… wanna play Junimo Kart?”

**-line break-**

That was not the question Blue was going to ask, but then again, nobody ever lauded him for his bravery. He was a coward, and he knew it. It didn’t help that he’d just witnessed a brutal rejection. Sure, it was just children, but children had a way of showing Blue the worst of the world. So, he figured, he probably would’ve asked if they hadn’t ruined it.

Except for he blew every opportunity after that, too. When he and Red walked out of the saloon and parted ways, Blue didn’t ask. When he invited Red down to the beach to show him the hermit crabs congregating this time of year, Blue didn’t ask. When Red swung by to give Blue a Frozen Tear to match his aquamarine, Blue didn’t ask. When Red was out in the fields and Blue stopped by to “search for slime activity,” Blue didn’t ask.

Blue didn’t ask.

So he planned a trip to visit his sister and told Dawn he’d be back Friday. She had thrown a shoe at him as a response.

-line break-

Red did not enjoy the Flower Dance. He met Whitney shortly beforehand and recognized her as the pink-haired girl he saw with Blue at the saloon before. She was one of the helpers to help the townspeople get dressed in the traditional garb, and attended to him, making small noises of approval throughout the process. He hated the outfit, an awkward multi-piece blue suit, wrapped with pink and green flowers to mark him as single, and he wasn’t sure he liked Whitney, either.

He stayed close to the punch bowl throughout most of the event, awkwardly sticking to the side during the singles’ dance, and wished Blue would show up and save him. But Blue never came.

Red couldn’t quite place why he’d been so disappointed that Blue was gone and hadn’t even bothered to tell him, but he tried to stay interested in his small talk with Lenora, Marshal, and Byron while the rest of the world danced around him. Brock shamelessly hit on an uninterested Joy, Hilda and Hilbert quarreled while Rosa danced on her own, and Nate, Joey, and Iris built a small tower out of the flower decorations.

Dawn was crowned Flower Queen, which Red figured she deserved, and he gave her his most sincere congratulations when she stopped by.

“Thanks, Red!” she said, excitedly fling her arms around him. “By the way, where’s your boyfriend?”

He blinked. “What?”

“God, you two are both so dense. How’d you like your first Flower Dance?”

Red was confused.

“Right. Well, I’m going to go check in on Jasmine. Have a good night, Red!”

He laid in his bed that night, head reeling, unsure why. He wondered when Blue would come back.

**-line break-**

“So you’re telling me,” Daisy said, “that you came all the way out here to spend two nights, without warning, to avoid a dance that you were too scared to ask Red to?”

Blue hunched his shoulders. His sister leaned against her fridge – old, white, and covered in magnets – exasperated. Her house fit right in the outer suburbs near Cerulean Cape; small, old, quaint, and soft. Overstuffed sofas and armchairs covered in paisley and floral designs filled the living room, all pointed towards the TV Daisy bought on clearance three years ago after the one she bought from college finally gave out. Blue didn’t think she or Bill watched anything other than the occasional episode of garbage reality TV.

The kitchen was equally friendly, with a wooden table covered in a light blue tablecloth that Daisy had no doubt embroidered herself with fruits. Blue always enjoyed visiting her house. It felt warm and homely, just like Daisy.

“Blue,” she sighed. “You could’ve just gone to the dance as a single. You didn’t need to run from it.”

“I didn’t feel like everyone making jabs about me and Red,” he said. Daisy was easy to be honest around. “It feels like everyone just… expects me to do something. I don’t know what they’re telling him, either.”

“Blue, you did the same thing to all of them over the years. Remember when Candice-”

“I was twenty.”

“Still, Blue. They don’t mean you any harm. Besides, I thought you liked Red.”

“I do like Red. A lot.”

Daisy frowned. “Because of who he is or because you live in Pallet Town and there’s no other options?”

“I’ve had plenty of options, Daisy. I spent almost a decade abroad.”

“And abroad you never hesitated to pursue anyone. I mean, Blue, don’t take this the wrong way, but I just don’t understand why you haven’t made a move already.”

For all of Blue’s early twenties, he had never hesitated even a second to flirt with anyone he found attractive. He’d always had dates when he wanted them, always been in a casual relationship whenever he desired it. He’d had a couple serious relationships, but always backed out before things got out of hand. So really, he should’ve done something by now. It only made sense.

“I guess I’m worried I’ll mess it up somehow.”

“Since when have you ever cared about messing up relationships?”

The words settled like tiny needles in his heart. Daisy froze a second.

“Wait, Blue, I didn’t mean-”

“No, Daisy. You’re right. I need to go now.”

**-line break-**

Red set his alarm for 5am every morning so that he could get to work before sunrise. Normally, he would roll out of bed, pull some shorts on, and clear out more of his fields for crop. Right as the sun rose, he would plant new seeds and label the rows he organized them in. Once it was light enough to see, he’d inspect his current plants, one by one, and then water them all with a small portable sprinkler attached to the hose. Afterwards, he would shower and actually get dressed. The rest of the day would be spent chopping wood, researching fertilizers and future irrigation systems, preparing his chicken coop for chickens, or mining. Towards the end of the week, he’d head to the saloon for dinner and to see some of the other townsfolk if they didn’t come to him first. More often than not, Blue would show up unannounced at some point in the week and whisk him off to some random chore.

Red enjoyed his routine and his morning solitude, and this Thursday morning was no different. Until he opened the door, naked save for his shorts and boots.

Blue stood before him, hair perfectly spiked, eyes shining.

“Hey Red, what’s up?” he said, walking straight in past Red to the kitchen. “How was the Flower Dance?”

Red rubbed his eyes and poured himself a cup of water before sitting at the table.

“Boring,” he said honestly.

“You didn’t have a date?” Blue asked.

Red looked up at Blue, who was leaning against his shiny-new-used fridge, devoid of any decoration. Red’s entire house was empty, still, save the furniture left by his unknown grandfather and a handful of appliances Red had provided himself. All his clothes were finally out of his duffel bag and in his closet, though, which he considered an improvement. All his childhood photos and belongings still remained packed in the bag under his bed.

“No.”

“Not even Lenora?”

“No.” He and Lenora had actually talked some at the Flower Dance, and Red learned that she had never really taken an interest in romantic relationships or starting a family. Her first love, she had said, was books, and her second was the community.

“Red, are you gay?”

Red paused.

He remembered talking to his mom in high school before his junior prom. She had been pestering him about finding a date, but nobody he’d ever talked to had interested him. Especially not any girls.

“Red,” she had asked, voice warm and gentle, “are you gay?”

He had honestly never considered it up until that point. He supposed he had liked some boys he met, but he didn’t know what those feelings were. He had never been in a relationship, much like Lenora, and never thought he’d wanted one.

After his mom had asked, though, he realized he did start noticing feelings. Never much, never anything worth acting on, but they were definitely there.

His first real crush wasn’t until Red’s year and a half at college. Volkner was an electrical engineer, head full of blond, spiky hair. He was quick-witted and bored with the world, but Red had paid close attention in physics to the way Volkner would light up as he explained his thoughts on different problems.

Red had wanted to be with him, for sure, but Red didn’t want Volkner to know him. He feared that Volkner would find him dull and boring, just like the majority of existence, and grow tired of him. In the dozens of scenarios Red imagined of him asking Volkner out, he could never picture a convincing way Volkner would say yes.

And of course, Volkner would never ask Red out.

Two months before Red dropped out, he had seen him holding hands with a boy he recognized as Flint, and was relieved he had never tried anything.

Flint was the opposite of Red. Exciting, outgoing, loud. He had a bright future in front of him where Red had nothing.

But this, Red had determined, likely meant he was gay.

He’d existed for the years after never really meeting or growing close to anyone except Ethan, who was head over heels for Lyra before Red could even process the possibility of feelings. Red liked Silver, but not enough to consider ever making a move.

He hadn’t really had to consider his sexuality in a while now, but now… Well.

“Why?” Red asked.

“Just curious.”

Red shrugged. “Yes.”

Blue opened his fridge. “Red, you really need to stock up sometime. What is this shit?”

Red had about seven different flavors of hot sauce, three mustards, cashew milk, celery, and a carton of eggs in his fridge. He could not see the problem. Blue looked at him expectantly.

Some part of Red was telling him that he needed to get started on his daily routine instead of deciphering Blue, but he found himself humoring his friend anyways. He sometimes had moods like this – moods Red didn’t quite understand, where he’d be all questioning and fidgety and falsely confident. But Red didn’t mind them.

“Want eggs?” Red asked at last.

“I want to know why you have cashew milk instead of, you know, normal milk. Or any normal milk substitute.”

“I like cashews.”

Blue stared at him.

“Want eggs?” Red offered again.

“I’m bisexual,” Blue said.

Red got up, pushed past Blue, and grabbed the carton of eggs. He turned the stove on – the new (used) electric one – and started cooking eggs. Blue watched.

“Do you eat eggs every morning?” Blue asked

Red shook his head.

“Also, do you usually walk around half naked in the mornings?”

Red nodded.

“Maybe I’ll have to come over earlier more often, then.”

Red looked at him, straight in the eyes. Blue met his gaze.

“Do you want something?” Red asked.

Blue opened his mouth and then closed it, blushing. “No,” he said after a moment. “Just some eggs with you.”

Red nodded and flipped the eggs in the pan.

“Where were you during the Flower Dance?” Red asked after a while. He had been curious, and slightly hurt, when he’d gone and Blue was nowhere to be found. He knew that Blue wasn’t a fan of the event, and Red had plenty of other friends there to talk to, but it still caught him a bit off guard.

“Oh, I just went to visit my sister, Daisy.”

Red nodded.

“She’ll be visiting soon, actually, with her husband, Bill. They’re good people. You’ll like them.”

Red wondered at the implication that he’d definitely be meeting them. Whenever Lyra’s family was in town, she always treated it like an inconvenience. Red had never met her parents; she always spent time with them by herself. There was never an expectation that Red would ever meet any of her family, and Ethan only got to know them a year into their relationship.

But that was different, he supposed. That wasn’t Pallet Town.

“Are you coming to town tonight?” Blue asked.

Red shrugged. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“Work. Time.”

“Do you like living in Pallet Town?”

“Yeah.”

Blue was fidgeting still. Red wondered what he wasn’t saying.

He flipped the eggs onto plates and grabbed some hot sauce from the fridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "straight in the eye" haha more like gay in the eye amiright haha


	8. Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And lease this confusion, I'll wander the concrete  
> Wonder if better now having survived  
> Jarring of judgement and reasons defeat  
> The sweet heat of her breath in my mouth I'm alive
> 
> With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean  
> She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene  
> With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean  
> She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene

Time flew and Red’s farm flourished. He finished refurbishing the chicken coop and worked with Lenora, Maylene, and Professor Oak on plans for a stone slime coop, which he pointedly kept secret from Blue. He didn’t need any negativity towards his future slimes.

He texted Ethan and Lyra occasionally, sending them pictures and updates about his farm. Once his slime coop was underway, he decided he’d talk to Marshal to see how much it’d cost to add a guest room to his house.

Summer forced him to spend more time outside working on his crops and less time in the mines, which he didn’t mind. Crasher Wake insisted to give him a fishing lesson, which involved throwing a shirtless Red into the lake to become “one with the fish” while Blue watched and laughed. He tried to avoid the fishing shop as much as possible, even while he slowly took to the new hobby.

Life, he figured as he watched the sun set over his farm, was about as good as it was going to get.

Of course, life has a habit of plummeting the good times into chaos. Red knew this. Red knew this when he had gotten his job offer at the Radio Tower and was Ethan’s best man and then two weeks later his mom was dead.

It started with the letter.

_ Dearest Red, _

_You have not yet met me, but I have been watching you and your new place within Pallet Town. While your life so far has provided an overall benefit to the community, I feel there are urgent things you must be made aware of._

_I look forward to meeting you. I live in the tower in the woods. Your dear Blue avoids it like the plague, but he should be able to guide you should you struggle. Do not tell him why you are coming._

_ Sabrina _

__

Red looked it over multiple times before tucking it away into his pocket. Going to a tower to meet a strange woman sounded pretty sketchy, but he was a full grown adult. He could probably handle it. But he’d let Blue know where he was going, just to be sure.

Red started to walk towards town, figuring today would be a lab day for Blue. On the way, he stopped in Maylene and Candice’s to check the daily seed supply.

The pair didn’t notice the bell ring as Red stepped inside, and he immediately considered leaving again.

“I just don’t see how moving is the best option here!” Maylene hissed. Both of them stood behind the counter, Candice leaning back next to her open laptop, Maylene with her arms crossed.

“Because Pallet Town _isn’t_ ,” Candice said, voice calm. “Maylene, if we’re going to move, it’s best to do it while the kids are young.”

“So they can’t remember it here?”

“So they can adjust to life elsewhere earlier.”

“But why do we need a life elsewhere? We’re perfectly happy here! We’ve _been_ perfectly happy here!”

Red reached back for the door, feeling extremely out of place.

“But will the kids be happy here?” Candice demanded levelly. “They can’t get the education here offered elsewhere. They can’t get _jobs_ here that are offered elsewhere. I want what’s best for them.”

“We already said we’ll send them to private school for high school,” Maylene argued. “If you want to do so for middle school, we can look into it.”

“Do you really want to ship our children off for eight or nine months a year, barely seeing them? They’ve got _college_ for that. We can just as easily move and be there for them throughout school and give them the support they need.”

“Pallet Town gives them the support they need, as a community. Here, they have a closeness that we can’t _find_ elsewhere-”

“ _We_ have a community. How many other kids their age are around? What will _their_ future community look like? Maylene, how many people of _our_ community have left in the past decade?”

Red sharply inhaled, opened the door, and stepped outside. He could ask about seeds later.

The sunlight settled deep into Red’s skin as he walked down to Blue’s house. The town had changed a lot from spring to summer; the trees turned darker and greener, the flowerbeds had been swapped from hyacinth and bluebell to peonies and asters, and clouds were sparse, their drifting shadows more pronounced.

Red, like most kids, had loved summer for the freedom and opportunities it gave. Now he appreciated it for the work it gave him; work he enjoyed.

He opened the door to the main lab. Professor Oak, currently standing at a bookshelf near the entrance, waved at him.

“Blue is with our new intern right now,” he said. “I think you’ll catch him near Dawn’s house. Leaf just showed up; he’s just making sure she’s settling in.”

“Thanks,” Red muttered, and spun to walk back outside. He walked to Dawn’s place, a tall, skinny, two-story house she lived in by herself. Though, Red supposed, she’d have a roommate now.

Sure enough, Blue stood outside with a girl. She had on a large-brimmed white cap and light brown hair that looked as if she had started to straighten it and then gave up. Both her and Blue’s hair was slightly frizzy in the humidity.

Red hesitated, uncertain if he’d be interrupting something if he came to let Blue know where he was going. Dawn solved the problem for him, sneaking up behind him and throwing her arms around his shoulder in a surprise tackle.

“Red!” she said, “Are you here to meet my new roomie?”

Red awkwardly nodded and let Dawn lead him over to the group.

“Hi, you must be Leaf,” Dawn said, sticking out her hand. “I’m Dawn! I’m excited to have you move in, really! This is Red.” Red awkwardly waved. “He lives on the farm about a mile out from here, but you’ll see him around most of the time. He and Blue are basically glued at the hip.” She winked at Red. Red shifted uncomfortably.

Leaf smiled and shook Dawn’s hand. “I’m excited to be here! This is such a cute little town. You’re lucky to live here.”

Dawn’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s got its perks, that’s for sure. If you two are done talking for now, I can show you inside and we can get your things unpacked.”

Leaf nodded to Red and Blue. “Alright, that sounds like a plan. I’ll see you two later! Thank you again for this opportunity.”

Dawn opened the door and the pair headed inside, leaving Red and Blue alone.

Blue shrugged. “She seems pretty nice, doesn’t she?”

Red nodded.

“What’s up with you? You look a bit frazzled,” Blue said, studying Red. His eyes always seemed so intense as of late.

“Visiting the tower,” Red said. Blue’s jaw dropped.

“What? Why?”

Red shrugged. “Which way is it?”

“It’s, I mean, it’s about half a mile west from Whitney and Milo’s ranch and a bit to the south. On a giant hill. Literally can’t miss it, Red, but why?”

Red shrugged again and started heading to the woods. “I’ll be back later.”

**-line break-**

The tower smelled like cinnamon and cayenne, with a permanent dampness cling to Red as he entered. Gray stone walls bore various tapestries featuring fearsome birds, talons outstretched towards the mountains. Crimson carpet directed Red towards the back of the tower, where a tall woman with shiny, pin-straight black hair stood waiting. Donned in skintight dark-pink-and-black layers of fabric sharply contrasted against porcelain skin, she radiated an uneasy power that made the hairs on the back of Red’s neck stand on end. To the right sat a bubbling cauldron filled with green goop, giving off the faint scent of lavender.

Red stood before her, plain in his t-shirt and faded jeans.

“Red,” she said, “welcome.”

Red nodded, feeling uncertain.

“I know my note must have seemed strange, and that I must seem strange. I keep watch over Pallet Town and serve as a bridge between this world and that of the spirits. It is at the spirits’ recommendation that I called you here today. They had informed me of your arrival long ago, and it is with great pleasure I see you here today.”

Shifting uncomfortably on his feet, Red wondered if it was too late to leave.

“You must have noticed some things about this town, both good and bad. I am not even referring to the supernatural here. But like any place, Pallet Town has its pros and cons. Correct?”

Nod.

“Then you may have also noticed that this town is slowly falling apart, unravelling from the center out.”

Red shrugged. Sabrina sighed.

“Red, you have only been here a short time. But in that time, you have already discovered one person plans to leave by the end of the year and never return. You have heard many worried, hushed conversations by parents about the futures of their children here. This town is shrinking. Every vacant house left to rot and ruin serves as a warning to the remaining residents of what is to come. This town will soon die.”

Red thought back to Dawn and her plans to leave for Jubilife, and Candice’s and Maylene’s argument, and the countless comments made about how _odd_ it was that Red had chosen to move in. The cauldron started to gurgle, some potion spilling out over the sides. Sabrina paid it no notice.

“This town will eventually crumble should people keep leaving. We will have no more youth left. Each time someone leaves, they spread doubt to all those close to them – and when they live in a town like this, _everyone_ is close. Dawn’s bold plans have attracted attention, whether she intended them to or not. She is not the first to leave, nor will she be the last. But her plans to move are causing an unpleasant stir.”

Red felt like he wasn’t going to like this conversation.

“Red, what does Pallet Town mean to you?”

He remained silent, lowering his gaze to the floor. He thought back to his life in Goldenrod, and the constant forced loneliness that pulled at him every morning. He thought about how difficult he found it to get out of bed, knowing only a hollow routine of work, exercise, and food awaited him.

_Who are you?_ Red wanted to ask, but the words refused to come out. _What do you want from me?_

“There are plans,” Sabrina said at last, “to build a Jojamart here. It’s a brand I assume you’re familiar with – it was recently acquired by Team Rocket Associates. Mayor Fuji and Lenora have been arguing over its construction. Fuji is concerned about economic growth. There is only so much money to go around in a village this small, but building a new brand-name store could attract some attention. Lenora believes there are better ways. Besides, such a store could put Candice and Maylene out of business.”

Red couldn’t picture anyone choosing to go to a Jojamart over the tidy, homely store Candice and Maylene cared for. But then again, he thought, he had never bothered to shop anywhere other than the Rocket brand stores in Goldenrod. He’d never seen a reason to spend more for the same cheap goods.

“The spirits have taken a liking to you, Red. They have seen you rebuild and restore a place in this town that seemed to all the world desolate and empty. You could help us do more. You can win this town back and keep everyone here, where they belong.”

Nauseas anxiety started to build in Red’s gut as he processed her words. Uneasiness clouded him as he tried to find a response to what she was saying, but nothing came through. The words she said sounded like compliments, but her tone made them feel like a plea.

His stomach flipped as he forced himself to breathe, the lavender scent overpowering his nostrils. He felt like he was in the hospital again, his mother’s frail hands wrapped in his own, a low beep and gentle flickering lights trying to pull his attention away from her tired face. Did it smell like lavender, then? Or did it smell like hand sanitizer and disinfectant?

_“I love you, Red,”_ his mother pleaded.. _“My precious son. I love you so dearly. You be good while I’m gone. Take care of yourself. I love you.”_

He had been unable to find words then. He felt so many things, none of them forming a coherent thought as he watched the only constant in his life fade away.

Lavender built up in his throat, choking him, and Red desperately wished he could be anywhere else.

“You may go,” Sabrina said, icy words cutting through the fog. Red didn’t feel his legs move as he made for the door, feet dragging against the carpet as his mothers’ words echoed through his head.

Once outside, he collapsed, body crashing into Blue’s.

**-line break-**

Blue hated the tower. He abhorred it. He couldn’t understand _still_ what about it made him so uneasy. He knew it was occupied by a woman, and that Lenora was the last person in town to have any connection to her, and he was 90% sure she only dropped by around Spirit’s Eve. Her cousin, Olympia, had known the woman in the tower better. But Olympia left years ago, and the tower only grew creepier in her absence.

As a child, he had constantly teased Misty over her fear of the place, but in reality he’d never been any braver. Clair, six years their elder, had been the only person in their gang who would go anywhere near it, and even then she’d only do it on a dare and with whatever she deemed “fair compensation” that week.

This was the closest Blue ever came to it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Red once he came out, honestly, but he didn’t feel comfortable with the man going in there completely alone.

Time ticked by slowly as Blue waited. Just standing there, alone by a tree in the tower’s shadow, was enough to set all his nerves on edge. When the door flung open, hours into the late evening, he almost fainted himself. But then Red crashed into him, stinking of flowers and fate, and Blue snapped to attention. The tower door slammed closed, its intimidating aura settling back into a calm uneasy.

“Red?” Blue asked, shifting himself to support the larger man’s weight. “Red, are you alright?”

Red didn’t respond, and Blue forced himself to stay calm. He pressed his fingers against Red’s neck and felt relief as he felt his pulse, gentle and steady. It sounded like he was still breathing, too. Blue could carry Red at least to Whitney and Milo’s, and one of them could help Blue get him to the health clinic. That was doable. He could accomplish that.

He adjusted Red so that his arms were wrapped around Blue’s shoulders and he was leaning against his back. Grabbing hold of Red’s legs, he hoisted him up so that he was riding piggyback. Blue leaned forward to avoid Red falling off, and trudged towards the ranch.

It took the last of Blue’s strength not to just unceremoniously drop Red onto the ground once he reached the pastel door, instead grunting as he slowly lowered him. He knocked loudly.

Milo answered moments later, still dressed in his work clothes despite the late hour.

“Blue? Is there something we can help you with?” he asked, confused.

“Yeah, I need to get Red to the clinic,” Blue panted, out of breath. “He collapsed and won’t come to.”

Milo took a second to process before jumping into action. “Our car’s broken down, but I’ve got a mule that could work. Where is Red? Is-” he looked at the body next to Blue’s feet, “oh. Okay. Stay there for a second. Whitney! Whitney, I’ll be back later, we need to get Red to the clinic.”

“Red? The neighbor?” Rosa’s voice called, and she bounded up to the door moments later. “Can I come?”

“No,” Blue snapped. “Stay here with your mother. Milo, thank you. Really.”

“Course. Rosa, you heard him. You stay here, I’ll be back soon, okay? Love you,” Milo said, hurriedly stepping out of the house. Rosa started wailing inside, and Blue listened to her mother attempt to calm her while Milo jogged to his barn.

He returned with a large, gray mule. “I think it’d be best to lay him on his stomach across the back,” Milo said. “He can’t sit up and ride and I don’t want him to fall, and laying him on his back could hurt his neck later.”

Blue nodded, and the two men hoisted Red up onto the mule. Blue steadied Red while Milo guided the mule towards town.

“What happened?” Milo asked as they walked. “Was he overworking himself, or was it just sudden?”

“He went up to the tower,” Blue said. “I had a bad feeling about it, and so I waited outside. He came out moments later and just collapsed on sight.”

Milo shuddered. “That place has always given me the creeps. What was Red even doing there?”

“No idea. He just told me he was going this morning and then took off.”

“He’s a bit of an oddball, isn’t he?”

“Red?”

“Yeah.”

Blue frowned. “What makes you say that?”

Milo shrugged. “I dunno. He just kinda popped up out of nowhere, you know? Moved into a rundown shack on a field of weeds and sticks with no real story of why and runs off to the tower. It’s pretty strange, I think.” Seeing the look on Blue’s face, he quickly backtracked. “I mean, I guess I don’t know him that well, is all. Only seen him a couple times, talked to him maybe once.”

“He’s a private person,” Blue conceded. “He’s just trying to make it through life like anyone else. I don’t think he just ‘ran off’ to the tower, either. He must have a reason.” Though, Blue figured, Red _did_ seem to do a lot of things just for the hell of it.

But going to the tower alone just because? That didn’t add up.

Joy answered the side door to her house and the clinic dressed in pajamas, dark rings under her eyes.

“Yes?” she asked, false warmth in her voice. Blue would feel guilty for getting her up at this hour, but Red hadn’t stirred the entire way to the clinic. She could deal.

“Red went to the tower, collapsed, and isn’t responding,” Blue said. “He has a pulse and is breathing, but won’t wake up.”

Joy’s smile froze. “Okay, let’s get him settled. Bring him to the front and we can get him in the hospital room.”

They regrouped at the entrance, and Milo carried Red bridal-style through the lobby and into one of Joy’s two overnight rooms. Blue told himself it was stupid to be jealous of a married man carrying an unresponsive Red.

“Will you be good here?” Milo asked Blue as Joy got to work checking Red’s vitals.

Milo and Blue had never been particularly close, mostly because Blue teased him mercilessly throughout their teenage years, but Milo’s kind nature compelled him to forgive Blue every time.

“I think so. Thank you, Milo. I really appreciate it,” Blue said sincerely. “Remind me to buy you a drink sometime.”

Milo offered a smile, genuine as ever. “Of course, Blue. But you don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help. Call if you need anything; I’ll just be home.”

“Right. Thank you.”

Milo left, quietly closing the door behind him, as if not to bother anyone, leaving Blue alone with Joy and Red.

“Well, he seems fine,” Joy said, shrugging. “Just in a deep sleep. You said he went to the tower?”

“Yup.”

“Maybe the witch- I mean, whoever was there gave him something. If you help me prop him up, I can draw some blood. There’s a few things I can check for here, but we may have to send a sample up to Viridian if he doesn’t wake up soon. Other than that, we just have to wait for him to wake up.”

Blue nodded, and Nurse Joy went to grab some sample needles and vials. Red didn’t respond as she wrapped his arm and pricked him. Blue held him up as she collected the needed samples and pressed gauze against the small needle wounds.

The hours spent running tests dragged on, and Blue fought to stay awake as he sat at Red’s side. He’d pulled over one of the chairs from the corner and set it next to Red’s bed and clasped Red’s hand, fingers resting over Red’s wrist.

_Just to make sure he still has a pulse_ , Blue told himself, eyes drooping.

By the time Nurse Joy came back to inform him that Red hadn’t been poisoned and would be awake by morning, Blue’s head was resting sideways on Red’s arm, drool slowly making its way out of Blue’s open mouth.

Joy pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and then went to bed herself.

**-line break-**

Red woke from a series of quiet nightmares to the smell of Blue and disinfectant. Groggy and confused, Red pushed himself upright, suddenly aware of the tingling in his arm. He looked down to see some gauze gently wrapped just below his elbow. But… it felt like something heavy had been sitting on his arm the whole night, and his fingers felt full of static as circulation slowly returned to them.

Why was his arm wrapped in gauze, anyways? Did he have blood drawn? Why wasn’t he home?

“Oh, you’re awake,” Blue said, and Red whipped around to see his friend standing at the window. Sunlight caught in his light red-brown hair, giving him a slight halo as he walked back over to Red. “How’re you feeling?”

Red shrugged, at a loss for words.

Blue frowned. “Do you have a headache or anything?”

Red shook his head.

“Do you remember what happened to you at the tower yesterday?”

Red froze. Right. The tower. Sabrina. He remembered opening the door, seeing the sun, and then the world going black.

He shrugged uncomfortably and rubbed his eyes.

“You collapsed as soon as you came out,” Blue said. “I had to get Milo to get you to the clinic to make sure you were okay. Nurse Joy stopped in a while ago and said everything seemed fine, but make sure you come back if anything changes. I’ll go grab her now so she can check you over now that you’re awake.” He turned towards the door, and Red felt his chest constrict.

“Wait,” he said. Blue paused.

“Yes?”

Red looked up at his eyes. “Why were you there?”

“Oh, uh…” Blue glanced between Red and the door. “The tower’s a weird place, you know? I wanted to…” his gaze dropped to his feet, “just make sure you were okay, I guess.”

Red blinked.

“Anyways, I’ll go grab Nurse Joy. Just stay there.”

**-line break-**

Blue insisted that Red rest more before returning to the farm, and Red couldn’t find a good reason to argue. It would rain later that day, so he didn’t need to worry too much about making sure the crops got watered, and he had nothing more to plant that day since he’d skipped buying anything yesterday. Speaking of, he wondered how Maylene and Candice were doing after their argument.

Just as the thought came to mind, his phone buzzed. Red was sitting in Blue’s living room while Blue cooked them both brunch.

**Maylene: red can u watch iris this weekend**

**Maylene: candice and i are going out of town. joey is coming w us. iris gets carsick tho so shes staying here.**

Red mentally reviewed his weekend plans. Blue’s sister would be visiting then, but that was about it. He could still meet her with Iris in tow.

**Maylene: id ask dawn but shes already manning the store for us and blue is literally the worst with kids**

**Red: I can watch her. What time are you leaving?**

**Maylene: thx bro. 9am-ish. She might be kinda upset but she likes ur farm so**

**Maylene: just come over whenever u can before 9**

Red set his phone back down as Blue stepped inside.

"Breakfast is ready," he said, and Red took a moment to appreciate him as he walked into the kitchen.

Red hadn't expected to find someone like Blue when he'd moved to Pallet Town. The most he had hoped for was to build up the farm and maybe connect with some of the villagers, or at least find a group of people who wouldn't mind his company too much. He was expecting something superficial and empty, like what he had with his coworkers at the Radio Tower. He feared finding another Ethan; someone who he'd make the mistake of attaching himself to just to find himself abandoned years later.

Instead he found unrelenting, forceful welcoming from Blue. He encountered not empty "you're invited too"s but demands to spend time together and see more of Pallet Town. From the day he arrived, Blue marched straight through Red's life with offers of help and adventure.

It could be patronizing, confusing, and downright exhausting. But Red enjoyed it, he realized. He enjoyed listening to Blue ramble about his grandfather's slime research and watching him squirm as their friends teased him with childhood stories.

Everyone Red had met since moving to Pallet Town had been overwhelmingly _present_ in a way that he couldn't describe. Maylene was similar to Blue in some ways, inviting herself where she pleased and bringing her kids along when she could, but she didn't have the same constant expectation that Blue did of being well received. Lenora had consistently reached out a hand to pull him deeper into the community, to ensure he had all the connections he wanted to find happiness in the town. Byron provided him with fatherly approval and faith he'd never realized he'd lacked. Dawn gave him a bubbly yet down-to-earth perspective and easy closeness that reminded him a bit of Lyra, but never made him feel like just a tolerated addition to the group.

But Blue, more than anyone else, had burrowed his way into Red's life with ease. Before Red even realized it, Blue had assigned himself as Red's closest friend and partner, being there for him in ways that even Ethan had never tried.

Ethan would like Blue, Red realized. They'd bicker and argue, but they'd get along. And Ethan would be happy for him.

"Are you going to eat breakfast or just stare at it?" Blue demanded.

Red shook his head a bit, re-grounding himself. He started cutting into the stack of chocolate chip pancakes Blue set before him. He wondered if Blue knew how to make any other breakfast foods.

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Blue continued. "You literally collapsed yesterday, and were unresponsive for the entire night."

Red nodded.

"Why'd you go to the tower, anyways? And don't you dare shrug at me."

"Sabrina wanted to talk to me."

"Sabrina? Is that who lives there?"

Red nodded.

"How'd you know? What did she want to talk about?"

Red shrugged as he took a bite. "Sent me a letter. She told me about Pallet Town."

"Wow, that _really_ clears things up," Blue said sarcastically. "And you were just so in shock by whatever she had to say that you fainted?"

Red shook his head. "No, she just reminded me of some things. She had a potion. I think that knocked me out."

"You drank a _potion_ from a woman who lives alone in a tower who sent you a letter?"

"No. It had a strong scent."

Blue stared.

Red shrugged.

"Red, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes."

"What did she tell you about Pallet Town?"

Hm. Red set his fork down, thinking about how to word this without sounding too weird.

"Same things everyone notices," he settled on at last. "Mostly that people are leaving."

Blue sighed. "And did she want you to leave, too?"

"No. She wants them to stay."

"What did you have to do with any of this?"

"I don't know."

"Does she want you to come back?"

"I think so."

"But you're not going to, right?"

Red shrugged, not hungry anymore. Blue's gaze felt hot against his skin as Red reflected on his time in the tower. He remembered the panic and uneasiness, all of his instincts begging him to step out. But he also felt curious. Nobody had ever really thought him so special before, and he wondered what it was she wanted him to do. It sounded like she cared about Pallet Town, after all, and Red did too.

"Jesus, Red. You can't."

"Why?"

"She literally _drugged_ you! Why would you want to go back?"

Red shrugged again, staring at his half-eaten pancakes. Blue's gaze remained steady.

"I'm curious," Red said at last.

"Curious about drugs?"

"No," Red said, hunching his shoulders. "About what she wants."

Blue groaned in frustration. "If you go back, I won't be waiting for you again."

The words stung, and Red shrunk in his seat. Blue sighed and rested his face on his palms.

"I had to carry you to Milo's so he could take you to the clinic," Blue said, tiredly. "I was worried about you, you dumbass."

"I was fine," Red said.

"Well, maybe you should've said so then," Blue stated. "Look, I can't stop you from going back there. I get that. You're an adult, et cetera et cetera, whatever. But you could at least consider the fact that recklessly endangering yourself – whether it be wandering through deep floors of the mines alone without proper equipment, or walking into strange towers to talk to weird women with drugs that nobody knows – kind of affects the people around you?"

They sat in silence, the words settling heavily between them.

"Then come with me," Red said.

Blue blinked. "What? To the tower?"

Red nodded.

"I-uh, I mean, what?"

"Come with me," Red repeated. "Next time she asks me to come, you come too."

Blue's face turned pink as he struggled to find words.

"I mean, I guess- Well, the tower is- The tower is haunted, Red! I don't want to go there!"

"I don't want to go alone," Red tried.

"Then why can't you just, I don't know, _not go?_ "

Red shrugged.

Blue looked around him, as if unsure it was him that Red had been talking to, before finally conceding.

"Fine. But if I get drugged, it's your fault."

Red smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow is that plot i see


	9. Like Real People Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will not ask you where you came from  
> I will not ask you, neither should you;  
> Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips  
> We should just kiss like real people do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no homo

Iris pouted, arms crossed while Candice and Maylene hugged and kissed her goodbye. Red stood next to her, a bit worried about what would happen once they left. A single suitcase sat in the trunk, with enough necessities for the 3 of them for a single night.

"We're looking at some houses," Candice had told him that morning while Maylene helped Joey pack up his toothbrush and clothes. "We'll be back Sunday night."

"You're moving?" Red had asked, hoping he didn't sound too pathetic or sad.

"Maybe," Candice said. "Probably. We've been talking a lot this week, and Maylene's not completely sold on the idea, but we both think it's worth it to consider all our options. I just can't picture our kids living in Pallet Town their whole lives. There's a whole world out there for them to explore, you know?"

Red nodded, throat tightening.

"Besides, it sounds like we might be getting a Jojamart soon. Lord knows nobody will need our little store after that moves in." She looked at Red, and offered a faint smile. "Come on, don't look so glum. This town isn't going anywhere, Red, and we'll stay in touch. We haven't even decided if we're going to move or not yet."

Red shrugged, and Candice patted him on the shoulder before showing Dawn how to run the cash register.

Now, Red and Iris stood together and watched the old pickup truck drive north, alongside the mountains and up to Viridian. Iris reached out to hold Red's hand. He held it gently.

"Want to see the farm?" he asked. Iris nodded, still pouting. "…Want to ride on my shoulders?" he tried. He saw the corners of her mouth twitch, and he hoisted her into the air and onto his shoulders. She wrapped her small arms around his head, knees gently squeezing against his neck, and he started walking.

"I wanted to go _too_ ," she said as they headed down the road. "I want to see the houses! It's not fair!"

"I heard cars make you sick," Red said.

"Yeah, but I can do it! I can be sick and look at houses."

Red hummed as he listened to Iris ramble about the last time she got sick on a road trip and about how good she was at pretending to be not sick, even when she was throwing up. It didn't sound like a convincing charade to Red, but who was he to doubt the words of a child?

Once at the farm, he did his best to keep her occupied. He showed her how to plant seeds and let her water the plants, wincing only slightly when she stepped on one of his prized pepper stalks. They went out to go fishing, which Iris grew bored of immediately, and went slime hunting instead.

"Blue does slime science," Iris informed him as they walked through the trees. Red silently prayed they wouldn't encounter Philucy. As much as he wanted to see the behemoth again, he did not want to face it with a tiny child in tow. "He goes out and takes pictures and stuff of the slimes all the time so his gramps can look at them. _And_ he studies trees! I know a lot about trees. They're tall and have bark and leafs, and the leafs make food for them! He told me about the trees once, and I asked Miss Bertha, and she said that I would learn all about trees when I start school next year. Blue said that there's chl- uh, chloro… uh… there's chloron-"

"Chlorophyll?" Red suggested.

"Yeah! Chlorolyll, which makes the food. It takes our breath and makes oxygen so we can breathe! That's why trees are important."

Red nodded.

"There's birds in the tree outside our house. Mommy showed me the babies. They were really, really small. I don't think human babies are that small."

Iris shared a multitude of thoughts on trees, babies, and her mothers while they walked through the forest. At long last, they spotted a slime. Red hushed her and they watched it from behind a boulder, Iris shaking with excitement.

"What's its name?" Iris asked as it oozed over to a fern, sucking it into its core.

"Arnold," Red said quickly. If he couldn't name Philucy, he was at least going to name _this_ one.

"Wow! Hi Arnold!"

The slime turned but didn't seem to see them. It turned to a puddle moments later, and oozed in. It made a loud squelching sound as it absorbed the muddy water.

"That water is gross," Iris noted. Red nodded and checked his phone. It was almost time for dinner with Blue and his sister.

"Time to go," he said.

"Why?" Iris asked, jumping off the rock. Red caught her in his arms.

"Dinner."

"Are we having spaghetti? I like spaghetti."

"I'm not sure. Blue is making it."

"Is it pancakes? Blue made me pancakes once."

"I don't know, we'll have to see."

Red cast one last look at Arnold the slime before hoisting a tired Iris onto his shoulders and heading back to town.

"I wanna study slimes one day, like Blue does," Iris said. She kicked her legs as they walked, and Red tried to ignore the pain in his clavicles as one of her heels dug in. "Slimes are cool."

"They are," Red agreed.

"I wish Mama would take me to see the slimes more. She's always working, and Mommy doesn't like the slimes. I'm going to ask Blue to take me to them."

Red was certain that there would be nothing Blue would hate more, so he stayed silent for that one. She continued to babble on as they walked, her voice getting softer and softer as she grew tired. Red figured she could take a nap at Blue's after she had some dinner.

He felt slightly nervous once he reached the door, unsure of what to expect. Blue had talked some about his sister over dinner at saloon the other day and insisted she was one of the kindest people he knew, but Red wanted to make a good impression. Blue meant a lot to him, and the last thing he wanted to do was make an idiot of himself and have Daisy tell Blue that his new friend was a freak.

Taking a deep breath, Red knocked.

Professor Oak opened the door moments later, smiling. "Ah, Red! You made it. And is that Iris up there? Iris, how are you today?"

"Good!" she answered cheerfully. "I spent all day with Red!"

"Wow, that's great! Did you help him on his farm?" Professor Oak asked, stepping aside as Red lowered Iris so they could fit through the door.

"Yep! I planted plants and watered them. He said they'll grow into fruit that I can eat!" She yawned widely and leaned against Red's leg. "I wanna be a farmer."

"I thought you said you wanted to study slimes," Red said.

"I wanna farm slimes!"

_Me too,_ Red thought as they walked to the kitchen. Blue was standing by the stove, chatting with a shorter man with dark, wavy brown hair. He perked up once Red came in.

"Red! Good to see you. This is Bill, Daisy's husband. Bill, this is Red. He lives out on the old farm west of town. Oh, and Iris. Her parents are out of town this weekend, so Red's taking care of her."

Red dipped his head in acknowledgement, helping Iris into a chair.

"Nice to meet you, Red," Bill said kindly. "How long have you been farming?"

Red shrugged.

"A couple months," Blue offered. "He's new to town."

"Wow, that's a first for this place, isn't it?" Bill laughed. "I swear, every time we visit the place shrinks. How long will you be staying here, anyways?"

Red felt his chest constrict. He hadn't thought before that Blue's stay was temporary. How would he react if Blue left?

"I dunno, Bill. I've been pretty happy here, and I said I'd be here at least until Gramps kicks the bucket."

"Blue," Professor Oak scolded, standing in the kitchen entrance.

"Unfortunately, you seem to just keep on living," Blue teased.

A woman walked in moments later, hair just a shade lighter than Blue's and much longer. She had the same colored eyes and stood a couple inches taller than her husband in her heels.

"Hello," she said. "You must be Red. I'm Daisy, Blue's sister. He's talked nearly nonstop about you!"

What had Blue said about him?

"I'm Iris!" Iris shouted. Daisy smiled.

"Oh, hello Iris," she said, taking the seat across from the small child. "Are you here with Red?"

"Yeah! I helped him farm today! And we saw slimes!"

"Well, that sounds like fun," Daisy said. "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yeah! I want pancakes!"

Blue looked at Red, who shrugged.

"I just have a pizza for you, is that okay?" Blue asked.

"Pizza!!!" Iris responded.

"Sounds like a yes to me," Daisy laughed.

"It's got just a couple minutes left. Red, Daisy, is there anything I can get you to drink?"

"Oh, water is fine," Daisy said.

"Red?"

"Water," he muttered, eyes set on the table in front of him. Blue frowned for a second before setting the table with Bill. He took the pizza out moments later, sat next to Red, and dinner started.

Daisy and Blue loudly and playfully bickered throughout most of it, Red eating his food as slowly as possible to avoid talking. Bill and Professor Oak held their own side conversation about computers and data, and Iris stayed sleepily silent except for the occasional tug at Red's arm.

"I'm going to lay her down," Red whispered to Blue.

"Let me know if you need anything," he said as Red stood up and carried Iris over to the living room.

He set her down on the couch with the softest pillow he could find, pulled a blanket over her, and then sat in the armchair and wondered why the hell he was like this.

**-line break-**

"He really is quiet, isn't he?" Daisy said after a while. "Is he going to come back?"

"Probably in a couple minutes," Blue said, shrugging. "He's not one for big gatherings. What were you saying about Misty?"

"Oh, she just said she would be coming a little earlier this year to visit Cerulean," Daisy said. "She's bringing her girlfriend, apparently, and wanted to show her the Cape."

"Huh. Her girlfriend's from Galar, too?"

"Yep. She's a swimmer. Made the national team, apparently."

"Crazy. Actually, you know what, I'm going to go check on Red," Blue said abruptly, standing up.

Daisy and Bill exchanged a look as Blue walked to the living room.

There, he found Red sitting in an armchair, face buried in his hands, while Iris napped soundly on the couch.

"Everything alright?" Blue asked, kneeling in front of Red. Red lifted his head and nodded. "It's probably been a long day for you with Iris, hasn't it?"

"Yes," Red said, voice barely above a whisper.

"I'd offer to let you spend the night, but all I can give you is the couch. Iris is spending the night with Dawn, right?"

Red nodded. "I'll take the couch," he said after a moment.

Blue blinked. "Really? I mean, if you really want to stay, I can take the couch tonight and you can take my be-"

"No, it's fine. I'll take the couch," Red insisted. "If it's okay. I don't want to intrude."

"Red, you are never intruding in this house. You will always be welcome here. What time is Iris going to Dawn's?"

Red checked the clock. "In about half an hour."

"Alright. Well, I think she should be okay here alone for a bit if you want to rejoin dinner."

Red shrugged.

"Is there something wrong?"

Red hesitated. "Are you going to leave Pallet Town?" he asked after a moment.

Blue hadn't been expecting that. He leaned back onto his heels, unsure how to answer.

"I don't think so," he said at last. "I don't plan to anytime soon, but I'm not sure I'll be here forever. But that's a long time out, you know? You've got me for at least another decade or so." Blue smiled. "Why, are you saying you'd miss me?"

Red rolled his eyes and stood up. "'Course not."

"Liar."

"I want food," Red stated, getting up and walking towards the kitchen. Blue smiled after him.

**-line break-**

"Iris! Are you ready for bed?" Dawn asked, arms open wide as Iris stumbled into her hug. Leaf stood close behind her, dressed in a sports bra and pajama pants.

"How've you been?" she asked as Dawn carried the small girl up the stairs.

Red shrugged. He'd only talked to Leaf briefly since she moved in a couple weeks ago. "Alright. You?"

"Good." Leaf paused a second, as if trying to figure out what to say next. "Sorry if this is intrusive or anything, but I've been curious and Dawn won't answer. Are you and Blue dating?"

Red blinked.

"Uh" was the only sound he could produce.

"I mean, I know it's none of my business. He's my boss. But I was curious. You two seem to spend a lot of time together and I haven't been able to tell if you two were just good friends or, y'know, something more. Like, okay, not to be weird, but Blue's kind of a big deal in the bio world, and it's pretty well known that he kinda, you know, slept around for a few years. So I was just curious if he was settling now."

Red shrugged. "We're just friends."

"Ah. Well, sorry then." Leaf laughed. "Okay, you have a good night. Don't tell Blue I asked!"

Red watched as the door closed in front of him.

Her words floated through his head as he walked back to Blue's house, and Red's stomach plummeted for the second time that night as he reached the door.

Dating Blue would be nice.

**-line break-**

"-and that's when Red just took of sprinting, completely blind, crashing into every tree possible with my bag," Blue continued as Daisy laughed. Bill raised his eyebrows.

"How fast do slimes move, again?" he asked. "And didn't you say they were acidic?"

"Yeah, they are. Red and I had slime burn for days," Blue said. Everyone was sitting in the living room, Gramps in the armchair, Daisy laying on the couch with her feet in Bill's lap, and Red and Blue slightly squished on the loveseat. Blue's feet were propped up on the coffee table, his arm pressed against Red's. He leaned forward, breaking contact for a moment, to take another sip of his beer. Once he leaned back, he rested his arm along the back of the couch, almost touching Red's shoulders.

He glanced at Red out of the corner of his eye. He'd thought Red was fine after they talked earlier, but he seemed quiet again. At least he didn't seem upset now, just deep in thought.

"Anyways, slimes get slower as they get bigger usually. This guy was _massive_ and hadn't moved from that rundown coop in months, so we were okay. I mean, he was still fairly quick, but not too bad. Red runs fast, even when he's smashing into things." Red rolled his eyes. Blue grinned. "We managed to salvage the things in the bag, but unfortunately my trusty backpack was finally resigned to the garbage.

"Oh, even worse, Red still had this massive cut on his chest from mining a couple days before. Idiot went down without the proper equipment. Byron just gave him, like, a sword and told him to go for it."

"I did fine," Red said. "The cut wasn't that bad."

"Yes it was," Blue argued. "I saw it."

"I _had_ it," Red retorted. Daisy laughed louder.

"Yeah, and I saw the look on your face when Nurse Joy cleaned it-"

"You took him to the doctor?" Daisy asked. "Aww, how sweet."

"Shuddup Daisy, he was injured."

"Not that badly."

"You were like, dead on your feet coming out of the mines! I swear, you're like some maiden, fainting all over the place, leaving me to drag you to help," Blue said. His arm dropped to Red's shoulders, and he gave Red a gentle squeeze. "Can't you, I don't know, stay in one piece for a while?"

Red blushed furiously, and Blue watched with interest.

"I didn't ask you to be there," he said defensively.

"Oh, and where would you be if I wasn't? Passed out in front of that creepy tower, getting tortured by Sabrina?"

"Red went to the _tower?_ " Daisy asked incredulously.

"What tower?" Bill asked, confused.

"There's this haunted tower out in the woods," Daisy said, sitting up. "When we were little, we'd dare each other to go knock on the door, but nobody ever did. Well, except Clair. But nobody ever answered."

"You did _what?_ " Gramps asked.

Daisy shrugged. "We were kids. You weren't paying attention."

Gramps grunted and crossed his arms. "It was impossible with the two of you, Blue always sneaking off to the mines or the woods and you trying to hitchhike to Viridian."

"I know," Daisy laughed. "We couldn't make it easy for you, could we?"

"Never," Gramps agreed. "Just like your parents, I suppose."

"I should visit them while I'm back," Daisy said. "Bill, I don't think you've been to the cemetery yet, have you?"

"Afraid not," he said.

"We'll go tomorrow morning. First thing. Anyways, Red. My brother hasn't been _too_ much of a nuisance, has he?" Blue saw a glint in her eyes as Red's face darkened further.

"He's been great," Red said, staring at his lap.

"Oh good. I was worried he would have scared you off by now, dragging you off to chase behemoth slimes and whatnot. He hasn't been holding you hostage here, either, has he? In the house?"

"Hey," Blue said. "I told you before, the farm's quite a decent walk away, I just let him spend the night when he's here late on the weekends!"

"And who's the one keeping him in town so late?" Daisy asked.

Blue straightened, his arm naturally lowering to Red's waist.

"You implying something, Daisy?" he demanded. He quietly hoped she wasn't going too far. He knew Daisy would be likely to tease and make comments, but Blue still wasn't sure if he could even try to pursue Red like that or not. Besides, he wanted to do that on their terms, not hers.

"Nothing you haven't suggested yourself," Daisy snarked back. "Anyways, it's getting late, and we had an early morning catching the flight here. We'll likely leave for the cemetery early, so don't wait up for us for breakfast, okay?"

"I think it's time I retire for the night, too," Gramps said, rising to his feet. "Red, Blue said you're spending the night here?"

Daisy mock gasped at Blue, who glared.

"Yeah," Red said, voice cracking. Daisy waggled her eyebrows as she led her husband upstairs.

"Goodnight!" she called.

"Blue, are you sure your bed's big enough for the two of you?" Gramps asked, and Blue knew he had to be screwing with him.

"Red's taking the couch," he said tartly.

Gramps hummed, eyes twinkling. "Of course. Silly me, I suppose. You two have a goodnight." He headed upstairs too, leaving Red and Blue alone.

Blue wondered if it was weirder to leave his arm where it was or take it back and give Red some space. He ultimately chose to leave it. It wasn't weird to enjoy this contact, right?

"Uh, sorry," Red said after a while.

"For what?"

Red shrugged. "I made things weird."

"What? How?" Blue asked.

Red shrugged again.

"What, Daisy's comments? She's just teasing. That's not your fault. _I'm_ sorry if she or Gramps made you uncomfortable. You made nothing weird. You're fine, Red."

"But…" Red hunched his shoulders, ducking his head down further.

"But what?"

"I don't know."

"Hey Red, look at me," Blue said, finally pulling his arm back. Red didn't budge. Blue got off the couch and kneeled in front of him once more. "Red. Look at me."

Red lifted his head slightly, face still crimson. Blue drank in the sight. Red's ruby eyes shadowed by his floppy dark hair, framed with a beautiful blush, slight stubble along his broad chin. He wondered if his face was as warm as it looked.

"You didn't make anything weird," Blue said, firmly. "Daisy's just teasing me. She, Bill, and Gramps all like you a lot. Nobody thinks you're weird. Okay?"

Red nodded. Blue gently raised a hand and rested it against Red's cheek. It really was as warm as it looked.

They stayed like that for a moment, neither breathing, before Blue abruptly stood up.

"Alright, let's get you some proper blankets. Unless you want to take my bed. Offer's still open, I'm pretty sure the couch is too short for you."

"The couch is fine," Red repeated.

"If you say so. I think the blankets are in the closet upstairs. Here, let's go."

Red followed him as he went upstairs to the supply closet.

It was empty save for some toiletries. Daisy must have taken everything out of it.

Blue groaned.

"Daisy stole all the extra blankets," he told Red. "And pillows."

Red stood quietly next to him, unsure of what to say.

"You know what? You just take my room. Go. I'll take the couch and the shitty pillow and blanket down there."

"I can just head back," Red offered. Blue looked at him.

"No. I'm not going to kick you out just because my sister's feeling sadistic. You go take my room."

"I can't," Red said. "I can just walk home, I've headed back at later times. It's fine."

Blue ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Red, I'm serious. You can stay here. I told you that you could. You know what, I'll just go get the blankets from Daisy. You wait here."

Red obeyed as Blue marched up to the guest room door and knocked sharply. She answered a moment later, half dressed and hair mussed.

"What."

"Where'd you put the blankets?" Blue asked flatly.

"I didn't put them anywhere," Daisy said. "Jesus, it's the middle of summer in Pallet Town, what would I do with extra blankets?"

"I don't know, but they're not in the closet now."

Daisy sighed. "Let me check the closet here and under the bed. Bill, have you seen any extra blankets?"

Blue glanced at Bill, who sat half under the blankets with a pillow in his lap.

Ah. He was interrupting.

"No," Bill said, not moving. Daisy flung open the closet door, shook her head, and then looked under the bed.

"They're not here, Blue. Sorry," she said. "Just have Red sleep with you. Problem solved."

And then she shut the door on his face.

Blue groaned. Red awkwardly shifted in place.

"Okay, you know what? Fuck it. I'm taking the couch," Blue said. "Let me go get changed, and then I'll see you in the morning."

By the time Blue emerged from his bedroom, Red had disappeared from the hallway. For a panicked moment, he feared Red had left. He ran downstairs, hoping he could catch him before he made it out of town, but it turned out Red was just laying on the couch.

Really, Blue realized as he looked at the tall, broad-shouldered man, it was a stupid idea to ever consider Red sleeping there. His body wasn't even close to fitting. One of his arms and legs hung off, the blanket just covered his midsection, and he was still dressed in his day clothes.

"Get off, you're going upstairs," Blue ordered, walking over. Red looked at him, defiant. "Don't make me move you."

"Like you even could," Red challenged.

Oh, it was on.

Blue walked over and shoved his arms under Red's, as Red squirmed and resisted. Blue sharply yanked Red off the couch before diving onto it himself. Red hit the ground with a thud, but quickly rose back up, picking Blue up bridal style.

Blue squirmed, trying not to enjoy the situation too much.

"Don't make me drop you," Red warned, running towards the stairs. Blue let out a shriek and grabbed onto Red's shirt as his feet thudded step after step. The two were laughing by the time Red made it into Blue's room and dumped him unceremoniously on his bed. Blue didn't let go, though, and pulled Red down too, using his legs to shove Red's out from under him and roll him flat on his back, Blue on top.

"I told you you're sleeping in my bed tonight," he said, still laughing. Red's eyes widened, blood rushing to his cheeks once more, and Blue grinned. "Now, I'm going to take the couch. Feel free to take whatever pjs fit you."

He started to climb off, but Red rolled onto his side and grabbed Blue's arm before he could fully escape.

"I am _not_ stealing your bed from you," Red stated.

"And I'm not letting you sleep on the couch," Blue retorted.

They held that position a moment, eyes boring into each other.

Red was the one who suggested it.

"So we share."

Blue's eyebrows shot up, and he felt his own face heating.

"You know what? Fine," he stated. "But you're not going to bed in _jeans_. Get changed." He pulled his arm back and walked out of the room.

He waited, listening to drawers open and close and hangers squeak. There was some soft shuffling before he felt Red's presence behind him, warm and heavy.

"All set," he said quietly.

Blue turned around, shocked for a second at how close Red was standing. His hands were pressed against the doorframe, highlighting Red's muscular frame, and Blue felt himself blushing again. None of his pajamas fit Red well, he knew that, but… it was nice to appreciate just how tight the t-shirt was against Red's chest.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" he asked, desperately hoping he didn't sound as pathetic as he thought. "Outta my way." He shoved past Red, painstakingly aware of every point of contact. Red laughed as Blue climbed into bed, patting the spot beside him.

Red took a step forward, then fell silent.

"I can just take the couch-" he said again.

"If you take a step out of this room so help me God I will end you," Blue said. "Turn off the light and get over here."

Red softly closed the door and switched off the lights. Then there was silence.

"What is it?" Blue asked.

"I… can't see the bed."

"Jesus Red, it's just over here. Come on. Towards the sound of my voice."

Red stumbled forward, tripping once he hit the bed and falling face-first into Blue's lap. Blue laughed, reaching out and grabbing Red by the shoulders.

"Congrats, you made it. Get in."

Red shook Blue off and climbed over him, pulling at the comforter and awkwardly making his way under the sheets. One of his legs brushed against Blue's, and Blue could swear his entire body lit on fire at the contact.

Red paused a moment, and Blue could just make out his eyes through the dark.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Red asked quietly. "I mean, I'm-"

"Yes, this is fine," Blue said. "Now shut up and get to sleep."

"Okay," Red said, rolling onto his back. Blue stared.

"You sleep on your back?" Blue asked incredulously.

"…Yes?"

"Huh," Blue said.

He flopped onto his side so his back faced Red. He was extremely aware of the warm body behind him, and Blue internally groaned. There was no way he could sleep like this. But it was too late; he couldn't leave now.

"I need to get you a toothbrush," Blue said after a moment, rolling back to face Red. "As much as you spend the night here, I really need to just get you a dedicated toothbrush."

"That would be nice," Red agreed.

"Actually, do you want to brush your teeth now? I can go find you a toothbrush right now if you want. I saw spares in the closet."

Red paused. "Sure."

"Okay, come on, let's go." He got and pulled at Red's arm, and they were out of bed faster than they were in it.

The pair, too awake for that hour of the night, made their way back to the closet, which was still devoid of blankets.

Blue pulled out the pack of toothbrushes. "Here, take this one," he said, pushing a blue toothbrush into Red's palm. "Go brush your teeth. I don't want to deal with your morning breath."

Red gave him a look before walking into the bathroom. Blue fidgeted, unsure of whether he should wait there or go back to bed.

If he went back to bed, though, Red might head back to the couch. And Blue refused to admit defeat in this battle. Or pass up the opportunity to sleep with Red.

So he waited, and Red emerged moments later. Blue told himself he couldn't smell the light mint on Red's breath as they stared at each other for another moment.

"Well," Blue said at last, "back to bed we go."

"Yep," Red agreed.

Neither of them moved.

"Uh," Blue said.

"Um," Red replied.

Blue broke eye contact first and grabbed Red's hand, leading him back to the bedroom. "Don't make this more awkward than it needs to be," he warned as he closed the door and flipped off the lights. He led Red to the bed, letting the larger man climb in first with Blue following.

They returned to their original position, Red flat on his back and Blue facing away from him.

"Red?" Blue asked after a minute.

"What?"

"Have you ever slept with someone before?"

Red paused. "Like this?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Yes."

"Really?"

"High school baseball. We went on trips, four boys to a hotel room."

"Oh."

"Have you?"

"When I was little, with Daisy."

"Oh."

"This isn't really like that, though."

"Oh?"

_Because she's my sister, and I want to kiss you_ , Blue thought. "Yeah," he said.

Silence settled between them. Blue couldn't sleep.

"Red?" he asked again, minutes later.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"No."

"Ever asked anyone out?"

"No."

"Ever been asked out?"

"Once."

"What happened?"

"She didn't know I was gay."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Poor girl."

"I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?" Blue asked, rolling over to face Red again. "Rejection sucks, dude."

"I dunno. I don't think she would've been happy dating me."

"Why?"

Blue felt Red's shrug through the bed.

"You're a catch, dude," Blue said. "Anyone would be happy to have a shot with you."

"I dunno."

"What do you mean 'I dunno?' Red, you're like, one of the best people I know. Come on, dude."

"You don't need to say that," Red muttered.

"But it's the truth," Blue insisted. "Look. You're extremely patient to deal with my bullshit and rebuild a farm on your own. You're extremely independent, even if you don't know how to stock your fridge. You're great with kids. You have this, I don't know, persistent way about you – you accomplish the things you want. You're plenty friendly but unobtrusive. You respect boundaries and all that, unlike me. You're like, the easiest person to like. I don't think you could piss somebody off if you wanted to. And you're hot. No homo." Blue paused. "Maybe a little homo?"

"'Maybe a little homo'?" Red asked.

"Forget that. Point is, you're a catch. Any guy would be lucky to have you, Red. Or girl, if you weren't gay."

Red rolled onto his side so he was facing Blue.

"I'm a college dropout," Red started, slowly, "with no family. I barely talk, and I worked the most boring office job imaginable. I had two close friends who married and moved away. I have no hobbies. I have never been on a date." His breath caught, and Blue felt his chest tighten. "I found a deed to a farm in the middle of nowhere," he continued, "and after a week of deliberating, I packed my life and left. My entire life fit into a duffel bag. My friends did not know I moved until I told them a week later."

"So?" Blue said. "Look at you now. You're a staple to this community, Red. Everyone here adores you. _I_ adore you. You built something out of nothing. You're brave. You took a huge leap of faith and abandoned a comfortable life to fix up a shack that didn't even have electricity or clean water. Red, not very many people can do that. You're incredible."

Red rolled onto his back again, silent.

"Say it," Blue said.

"What?" Red said.

"Say you're incredible."

"You're incredible."

"No, that _you're_ incredible. Say 'I'm incredible."

"Blue is incredible," Red stated, and Blue noticed the outline of a smirk on his face.

"No, _Red_ is incredible," Blue stated.

"Actually, my favorite color is blue, not red," Red stated.

"Red, I will hurt you," Blue warned. "Say it."

"I'm colorblind."

"No you're not, asshole. Say you're incredible."

"I already told you you're incredible, what more do you want?" Red was laughing now. Blue scowled and sat up, grabbing his pillow and whacking Red with it.

"Just fucking say it once!"

"I did!" Red was laughing harder as he rolled over in self defense while Blue started beating him with the pillow. "Get off!"

"Not until you say it!" Blue insisted, climbing closer to Red to better hit him with the pillow. "It's not that hard, you stupid self-deprecating asshole!"

"I'm an asshole?" Red asked.

_"Yes,_ an incredible one!"

"I think that's you," Red said.

"You are the worst," Blue growled, throwing one leg over Red's waist.

"Yeah."

Blue dropped the pillow to grab Red's shoulders and push him back onto his back. Red's smile faded a bit as his eyes widened.

"Say it," Blue ordered.

"No."

"Do it," Blue said, leaning closer.

"Blue, what-"

" _Say it._ "

Their noses were almost touching. Blue could smell the mint toothpaste clearly, mixed with the scent of earth and life and everything _Red_.

"'Maybe a little homo'?" Red asked again.

Blue gulped.

"Maybe," he whispered. "Now say it."

Red paused.

"Maybe?" he prodded again.

"God, Red, what do you want me to say? Just do it," Blue all but begged. He felt his blood burn, his skin alight where it pushed against Red's through thin pajama fabric.

"Blue, do you like me?" Red asked quietly.

"Yes," Blue said. "Now, say it."

He felt Red's heart race underneath him, right in pace with Blue's own.

"I forgot what I was supposed to say," Red whispered back.

"No you didn't," Blue said. "say you're-"

His words were cut off as Red gently pushed his lips against Blue's.

**-line break-**

Professor Oak laid in bed peacefully. Next to him, Eevee quietly snored atop a large stack of blankets and pillows, all taken from the closet moments before Red and Blue went to search for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe... a little homo. as a treat.


	10. To Be Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But you don't know what hell you put me through  
> To have someone kiss the skin that crawls from you  
> To feel your weight in arms I'd never use  
> It's the god that heroin prays to
> 
> It feels good, girl, it feels good  
> It feels good, girl, it feels good  
> It feels good, girl, it feels good  
> Oh, to be alone with you

Blue leaned harder into Red, his hands finding their way to Red's wrists as he pinned him in place, kissing back with everything he had. The thought of pulling away and addressing whatever this was filled him with almost as much anxiety as the current situation filled him with pleasure, and he made the most of the opportunity when Red's mouth parted slightly under his.

It felt like eternity in an instant.

Finally they broke apart, breathless and wild-eyed. Red's face matched his name, his skin hot under Blue's hands, and Blue's fears evaporated.

Blue was smiling. He was smiling so hard it hurt, the corners of his mouth aching, his entire body shaking.

Suddenly, Red shifted under him, and now it was Blue on his back, Red's hands wrapped around his face, Red's leg pressed between his own, Red's elbows digging into Blue's sides as Red descended upon him once more, mouth swallowing whatever thoughts Blue tried to formulate. Blue wrapped his arms around Red, pulling him closer, before pushing him back down and slipping his hands under Red's shirt, feeling the skin he'd imagined touching since the day they met. His right hand stopped right against Red's sternum, feeling Red's heart pound.

Their lips separated once more.

"Blue," Red gasped, and Blue's stomach flipped. He would do horrible, _horrible_ things if it meant hearing Red say his name like that again.

"Yes?" Blue asked, nuzzling into Red's neck. He nipped gently at the soft skin along the sides, slowly making his way down to Red's shoulders and clavicles. He hooked a finger around the collar of Red's shirt – no, Blue's shirt that Red was wearing – to pull it down further, exposing more skin.

"I-" Red started, and Blue bit down, just below his neckbone, and Red gasped, entire body shuddering. He let out a deep breath, and Blue trailed his way back up to Red's face.

"Red," Blue whispered, "you're incredible."

Red stared.

"You're incredible, and you're worth it," Blue continued. "I know this. Do you?"

He pulled his hands away from Red's chest, choosing to intertwine his fingers with Red's instead. He gently pressed another kiss to Red's lips before pulling away, just taking in the sight of the man underneath him.

"I'm not half as much as you," Red whispered, turning them so they lay on their sides, facing each other.

"That's not true," Blue said.

Red pulled Blue close, burying his head into Blue's shoulder.

"Let's get some sleep," he said. Blue nodded, wrapping his leg around Red's hip.

"Of course."

**-line break-**

Red wakes up first, hot and sweaty, Blue still wrapped around him. His mind slowly pieces together the events of last night, and he feels a burst of panic shoot through his chest.

What now?

Did Blue mean it?

He wondered if he should move. Would Blue want to wake up like this? Was Blue going to regret this?

He needed to pick up Iris from Dawn soon, too, but he needed to talk to Blue about this. What if Blue didn't wake up, and Red had to go pick up Iris, and Blue got upset? Should he wake Blue up now?

"Stop thinking so loudly," Blue grumbled. He nuzzled his head against Red's shoulder and gently squeezed him. "Gonna wake up the whole neighborhood like that."

Red's heart skipped a beat.

"Blue?"

"Mmm?"

"Is this real?"

Blue laughed, pushing himself up so he could look down at Red. "Yes."

Red tentatively lifted a hand, gently pressing it to the side of Blue's face. Blue leaned into it, eyes half closed, smiling softly.

"Though," Blue said, "we're going to have to pretend to not be together."

Red blinked, chest suddenly constricting again.

"Just for the morning. I don't want Daisy thinking her plot here was successful. Besides," Blue said, resting his hand over Red's, "I still need to ask you out properly."

If Red died right then, right in that instant, he would have died happy.

Blue sat up, reaching for his phone. "It's six am," he said. "That gives us at least an hour of making out, right?"

Red nodded. Blue smirked.

And a happy hour it was.

**-line break-**

Blue ended up stealing some of Daisy's concealer to cover the marks up and down Red's neck while Gramps cooked breakfast. Red squirmed, the brush tickling the already sensitive skin, until Blue grabbed the top of his head, holding it in place against his stomach.

"Just a bit more," he promised. "And it should all fade fairly quickly, okay? Next time, I'll be more careful."

Red wouldn't mind if he wasn't.

**-line break-**

Leaf answered the door when Red knocked.

“Here for Iris?” she asked.

Red nodded.

“You seem like you’re in a good mood,” she commented, turning to the staircase behind the door. “DAWN! IRIS! RED’S HERE!”

Iris bounded down the stairs moments later, hair done in fancy braids that wrapped around her head like a crown. She had on sparkly lip gloss and eyeliner, an odd mix with her t-shirt and shorts.

“I’m a princess today!” she told Red proudly.

“A pretty princess,” he agreed.

They spent the morning at the playground next to the library, Red constantly checking the time, impatient to see Blue again. It took all his focus to keep an eye on the tiny girls sprinting up the slides and climbing up the swing set and not completely drift off into daydreaming about Blue.

Once she tired, they headed into the library. Red cheerfully waved to Lenora as they walked in, to which Lenora raised an eyebrow.

Iris quickly found a book to read – one, Red suspected, her parents read to her many times before – and recited the pages one by one. Red’s mind wandered as she gave a passionate retelling of the Perky Puppy.

Of course, the joy came crashing down once the old pickup truck pulled back in front of the store and Candice jumped out of the passenger side, running to pick up and twirl her daughter.

“We found it, Iris!” she said, laughing with delight. “We found the perfect house.”

Maylene followed soon, Joey in hand, a conflicted look on her face.

“We just need to talk to the bank and get the paperwork signed,” she told Red, “but we’re moving as soon as possible to Celadon City.”

**-line break-**

Blue didn’t want to admit that he was mad Maylene and Candice had such big news, upstaging the development of his and Red’s relationship, but he was at least a tad bit peeved. He could own up to that.

Half the village crammed into the saloon in celebration and mourning, Brock whipping together a last minute feast of stew and pasta while Dawn and Jasmine poured drinks, everyone loudly talking and speculating about what Candice and Maylene’s new life would be like.

Glancing at the empty look on Red’s face, Blue figured it was probably for the better he wasn’t the center of attention right now. But Blue had been through this too many times before; first for Lance, then Clair, then Daisy, Misty, Roark, himself.

He’d known Candice and Maylene would leave eventually, just like he figured most Pallet Town residents would. It was only a matter of time before Whitney and Milo found an affordable property down near Fuschia, like Whitney had always dreamed, or that Brock got over his crush on Joy and accepted a better chef job elsewhere. Jasmine would leave the saloon soon after, possibly following Dawn to Sinnoh, and Dawn had already signed off on her own plans of abandoning ship. Lenora would start leaving more and more frequently unless Fuji kicked the bucket soon and made her mayor, but she was the only one with even a chance of staying.

Except for Red, Blue realized with a start.

Red had started something here that he couldn’t have anywhere else. His farm was born entirely of his own hard work and will. He chose to abandon his previous life to begin anew here; Blue couldn’t picture him just up and leaving.

Blue wondered what he himself would do once everyone was gone, once his grandfather left this world for good. He had left for a while before, he knew what was out there. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted it again.

Living here, though, the town a hollow shell of what it used to be, didn’t sound much better.

He reached for Red’s hand under the table, gently squeezing as Candice talked all about the Celadon school system and summer camps and universities and the friends Joey and Iris would make, Maylene chiming in with bits of her own grudging approval.

“It’ll be hard to say goodbye,” Maylene said at last. “This town has given us everything, and the overwhelming support you have all provided us over the years will never be forgotten.”

“This isn’t a goodbye forever,” Candice concluded. “Just for now. Besides, it’ll be a couple months before we close on the house! And once we’re settled, everyone is invited to visit. You will all be always welcome in our new home, just as you’re welcome to our one here.”

Candice and Maylene smiled at each other before the table toasted one last time.

He and Red shuffled out with the rest of the crowd, Red’s shoulders slumped.

“Hey, let’s go to the beach,” Blue said once outside. “It’s a beautiful night. It’d be a shame to waste it.”

Red shrugged and Blue led him down to the coast, over to a shaded spot perched up on a rock. Above them, stars seemed to pour out into the sky, glittering in magnificent and colorful patterns in the beautiful dark. Small waves crashed against their rock with the little might they could muster, splashing the toes of Blue’s shoes.

“It’s really hard,” Blue said after a while, “watching people leave. But I guess you know that.”

Red nodded, chin resting on his knee. He had his arms wrapped against one leg, the other stretched out towards the ocean.

“It’s been happening since I was a kid. I couldn’t tell you how many going away parties I’ve attended throughout the years. Hell, I even had one myself, and when I left I had never expected to come back. This place is just… like that.”

“Dying.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Sabrina was right.”

“The… the witch in the tower?”

Red nodded.

“Oh right, she mentioned this to you, didn’t she? But I suppose it’s just a part of life.”

They sat in silence, listening to the quiet roar of the ocean and quiet rustling of the palm trees.

“I have nothing but this place,” Red said after a while.

Blue looked at him.

“No, Red,” he said. “You have Candice and Maylene, Joey and Iris. You have Dawn and Lenora and Brock and Joy and Jasmine. You have Hilda and Hilbert and Rosa and Nate. You have _me_.”

“All because of Pallet Town.”

“That’s where we all started, yes. But it’s not where we’ll end. Just because there’s some distance doesn’t mean we’re not yours anymore.”

Red shrugged, eyes set on the horizon.

“I’m not going to leave you, Red.”

**-line break-**

Leaf arrived right on time as always, decked out in full slime-seeking equipment. Tall, water-proof boots; light canvas pants, a tank top and jacket, and thick, canvas bag.

“Happy slime day!” she said, enjoying the look of horror on her boss’s face.

“I don’t see how you find this enjoyable,” Blue grumbled, picking up his (new) bag and slinging it over his shoulders. “Let’s go, before they get too active.”

The forest seemed eerie and unwelcoming in the foggy early morning. Blue wondered how Red was holding up. Would he want to come over later for dinner? It was supposed to start raining in the afternoon. What would Red do then? Go down to the mines?

The aquamarine Red gave him before now sat on Blue’s nightstand, safe from slimes.

“Blue?” Leaf asked after a moment.

“What’s up?” he asked tiredly.

“What’s the deal with the tower? Do we ever collect samples over there?”

Blue paused to look up at the looming stone monolith, now in sight. “I usually don’t go near it,” he said. “The woman who lives there is, ah, how do I say it? Unkind.”

“Would she really mind though if we went near it?”

“I mean, knock yourself out,” Blue said. He’d almost forgotten about Red’s little excursion there and hoped dearly he wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.

**-line break-**

_ Dearest Red, _

_Thank you for your time before. I apologize for any discomfort you felt in the tower; it is a mystical place, closely connected to the spirits, and first visits can often be unsettling. However, I would like to invite your return at the earliest possible convenience. I would also ask that you come in alone. Blue may wait outside again should he wish._

_ Sabrina _

Red frowned. Rain clouds hovered overhead, darkening the cold ocean fog while he worked. He had just noticed the letter as he walked back inside to pull on a jacket. He wouldn’t be able to get much more done outside today; originally he’d wanted to start construction on the slime coop with Marshal, but that’d be impossible now.

So he might as well head to the tower soon, right?

Blue would be in the area for slime day. Red could update him then. And if Blue was too busy, which he shouldn’t be with Leaf around now, then Red would just wait until another time and go to the library to study chicken catalogs.

Red wondered if he should bring anything. There wasn’t much he could do to stop Sabrina if she wanted to knock him out again, but he didn’t think she’d do anything to really harm him. She just wanted to use him for something.

And if it would save Pallet Town, Red figured, he’d do it.

Red’s conversation with Blue the night before buzzed in his head as he left his house and started walking towards the forest. He understood how Blue could just overlook so many people leaving. Blue himself had left, after all, and made plenty of connections abroad. He had friends everywhere he went from the sounds of it, and could move anywhere and make more. Of course the disintegration of this little village wouldn’t way on him too much.

But Red wasn’t like that. Red didn’t travel, didn’t have connections. If Candice and Maylene moved, he would never see them again, just as he didn’t with Ethan and Lyra. Red depended on environment to connect with people. He couldn’t just… do what Blue did.

Red wanted people to stay. He wanted to keep people close and build lives with them. He didn’t want to be alone again, waking up every morning to an empty flat to walk through empty streets to an empty job. He finally had something.

And if Blue moved out of town, that would kill Red.

He paused as he heard Blue and Leaf’s voices in the distance and shifted course to meet them. As he approached, he saw Leaf was covered head-to-toe in some kind of purple sludge, while Blue hopelessly tried to wring out her hair as she wiped off her eyes.

“You didn’t tell me she _threw potions_ at people!” Leaf said, spitting sludge.

“I didn’t know she did! I told you, I don’t go near that place unless I have to! Red, what are you doing here? You don’t happen to have a spare towel, do you? Actually, Leaf, maybe we should just head to Red’s and you can rinse off.” Blue let go of her and shook his hands vigorously, attempting to dislodge the sludge.

“Door’s unlocked,” Red said. “I’m headed to the tower.”

Blue looked at him like he’d sprouted another head. “No,” he said, “no you’re not. The wi- Sabrina just dumped this _goo_ all over Leaf just for approaching the place. Come on, we need to get Leaf cleaned off.” He started to walk towards Red’s farm, Leaf in tow.

“I was invited back,” Red said, voice quieter.

“That’s great. But I can’t go now, I need to get whatever the hell this is off Leaf.”

“Alone.”

Blue’s brow furrowed as he looked over his shoulder at Red. “Well, that’s not happening, then. Come on, Red. Let’s talk about this later.”

Red felt his throat constrict some. He looked at the tower, looming in the background, then to Leaf, still dripping with sludge, and then back to Blue.

“Okay,” he said, “but I’m going back.”

“We’ll see,” Blue said, and the trio made their way back to the farm.

Thankfully, the sludge seemed to do no real harm other than be a nuisance to clean. Leaf’s hair was still slightly tinged purple after she stepped out of the bathroom, damp and dressed in Red’s oversized clean clothes.

Red and Blue sat in the kitchen, tea boiling on the stove. Leaf sat down with them moments later.

“What happened?” Red asked. Had Sabrina really attacked someone?

Leaf huffed, leaning back in her chair. “I was poking around the tower. It looked like there was some slime ooze dried against the tower wall, so I went to scrape some off for sampling later. You know, so we could identify which slime it was that went over there. And then I noticed that there were tracks all the way around the tower. So I walked up to the front and figured I’d knock and ask whoever was home about the slimes.”

“What?” Blue demanded. “Why the _hell_ would you do that?”

“I dunno!” Leaf said defensively. “I just thought you all were being overdramatic about the whole tower thing. Also!” She pointed to Red and Blue’s hands, gently clasped on the table, and then to Red. “You said you two weren’t dating!”

“That changed,” Red mumbled.

“ _And_ that’s besides the point! What on earth would possess you to go knock on the door to a fucking _tower?_ ”

“It didn’t seem that creepy! Everyone else here was so nice, I just thought whoever lived there would be, too!”

“Do you not feel the, oh, I don’t know, unsettling aura of doom and destruction that clings to that place like fog?” Blue asked. “What about that place screams ‘some welcoming, kind old woman with cookies lives here’?!”

Leaf shrugged. “I don’t know! I just didn’t think it would hurt anything!”

Blue opened his mouth again, but Red gave him a sharp look before he could say anything more. Blue settled to just glower at his intern instead.

“I’m going to the tower,” Red stated.

Blue and Leaf both turned to him incredulously.

“ _What?”_ Blue all but shouted. “Leaf _literally_ just got attacked, last time you got _drugged,_ are you _insane?”_

“I want to ask why,” Red said simply. And he did. If Sabrina was so worried about people leaving the town, then why would she attack a newcomer?

“You know, I’d like a real answer too,” Leaf declared. “I’m coming with.”

“Sabrina only invited me,” Red said.

“You’re not going back in there alone! Jeez, Red, we _talked_ about this! That woman is dangerous. Honestly, I don’t see why we can’t just steer clear of the place and be done with it. Seriously. I don’t need to spend another night with you in the clinic, Red.”

“I was fine.”

“I didn’t know that!”

“You’ll know that this time.”

“What about Leaf? She literally attacked her for no reason!”

“I’m fine too, though,” Leaf said.

“We don’t know that yet. You could be experiencing some, I don’t know, weird side effects or something that have yet to show up. Not everything happens instantly. Hell, we should probably be getting you to the clinic right now.”

“I’ll give it ‘til tomorrow and see what happens.”

“Or,” Red said firmly, “I can _ask_ Sabrina if it will do anything.”

Red wasn’t entirely sure where all this bravery about talking to Sabrina was coming from. Last time he went, all he wanted to do was leave.

But he wanted to know.

“And Sabrina could, I don’t know, _lie?_ ” Blue said. “Good god, you two are nuts.”

“I’m going.”

“ _Don’t._ ”

Red tensed.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” he said quietly.

“Then don’t do stupid things,” Blue retorted. “Can you _not see why I’m concerned?_ ”

“I. Am. Fine.” Red stood up. “Stay here if you’re scared of the place.”

He grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, leaving Blue staring after him, fists clenched.

**-line break-**

“Welcome, Red,” Sabrina said, standing in the back of the main tower room as per usual. The cauldron sat empty this time, Red noticed, and books were scattered along the floor. “I see you heeded my message and came alone.”

“What do you want?” he asked.

Sabrina smiled. “The same thing as you, I suppose. To preserve this place.”

Red felt frustrated.

He felt frustrated with Blue, for not accepting Red’s choice to go back to the tower and acting as if he needed permission to do what he wanted. For thinking that he somehow understood the tower situation better than Red, when he had never even met Sabrina. For thinking that Red couldn’t judge the risk on his own.

He felt frustrated with Candice for choosing to move, and with Maylene for agreeing to it. For packing up and leaving their store, the first place in town he saw, and taking their kids with them. For walking out of his life, just like Ethan and Lyra.

He felt frustrated with Ethan and Lyra _still_ for walking out as soon as they married. For never checking in. For growing too busy with their new child and new life to care that Red was painfully alone.

He felt frustrated with Sabrina for being just so goddamn _weird_ about the situation.

“So you attack somebody?” Red demanded.

“Oh, the girl?” Sabrina shrugged, black eyes boring straight into Red’s. “She came here uninvited, and she had been causing problems.”

“ _Problems?_ ”

“Yes. See, and that leads to the point of my conversation today, Red. This town is dying. You know this?”

Red glared.

“But it doesn’t need to. Candice, Dawn, Maylene – none of them have actually left yet. It is possible to prevent them from ever leaving. We can convince them to stay.”

Red felt his shoulders sag, frustration dissipating.

“Of course, the price can be high. Too high, I thought for a while. But I have been growing desperate, and I am now convinced that this is the only way. For Pallet Town to stay together, it needs as many people as possible. Sometimes, sacrificing some can keep more in place.” She stepped towards Red. Red fought the urge to step back.

“Red, what was it that held you in Goldenrod for so long? Why didn’t you leave once everything was taken away?”

“How do you know about me?”

“I told you. I watch all the townspeople, with the aid of the spirits. Tell me. What held you in place? The whole world around you, full of opportunity, yet you saw none of it. Why?”

He tensed, memories drifting back to the hospital. His mom, frail before him, pleading as she said she loved him, Red unable to speak as she faded away.

Her funeral, small and close, attended by a handful of people Red barely knew.

Her grave, soft and earthy, one in a line of dozens, as all city graves were.

Her tombstone, delicate and dark.

Red remembered sitting in front of it, day after day, each time depositing another bouquet before her. The cemetery cleared the place about once a week, Saturday at noon, so he’d stand and wait while they collected each flower, wait for them to clear the row, before returning to set another fresh bouquet down.

He did it every day for months. He had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do.

“Why?” Sabrina asked again, voice quiet and deceptively soft.

“Why do you want to know?” Red demanded.

“Because,” she said, “you know one surefire way to keep someone somewhere that has nothing more to offer them, don’t you?”

Red felt panic claw its way up to his throat as he thought back to Leaf. “Is Leaf-”

“Leaf is fine. She is not a major concern of mine. But you know what I am talking about, yes?”

Red crossed his arms.

“I am talking about grief. Grief is exhausting, no? It is cloudy and heavy, obscuring everything but the thought of what was lost. It rips people apart and pulls them back together. It is a kind of glue, I believe. One that can hold this town together.”

“ _What?_ ”

“The lucky thing is,” Sabrina said, “the people in this town can handle loss. There are so many others there to support them…”

Red gaped as Sabrina unpacked years of insanity upon him. Iris, she said, Iris – the pure little girl that gave Red a frog, that helped Red on his farm and asked about slimes, that insisted she could brave any form of sickness or discomfort to look at houses with her family – was the ideal first target. It had to be sudden; chronic illness could drive her mothers to pursue medical care in a city. It had to be by no fault of living in Pallet Town, or they could leave for fear of the same danger reaching Joey.

Maylene would never let her daughter be buried in a place she had never lived, and Candice would never leave her child’s grave behind. They would be stuck here in mourning, but they would be here. In Pallet Town.

Sabrina looked wistfully past Red as she finished her speech.

Red had no words.

“Of course, Red, you have easier access to her than I do. It would be just a matter of a vial in her food one night, and the whole thing would be over in an instant. For me, well… I would need the help of the spirits, but who needs their help when I have you?”

No words.

Except one.

“No.”

Red turned on his heel and walked towards the door.

“Leaf is fine right now,” Sabrina said, “but she doesn’t have to stay that way.”

He stopped.

“I had originally intended the potion for you,” Sabrina admitted, “in case you had failed to care for this town, as you are demonstrating now. But when Leaf showed up, well, I realized something.” Red could feel her smile behind him. “You don’t care much for yourself, do you?”

Red flinched.

“So maybe… threatening you wouldn’t get me anywhere. Besides, I would much rather have you live. But Leaf? I don’t need her. And you wouldn’t let an innocent woman die.”

“Iris is innocent, too.”

“And her sacrifice will protect this town. Leaf’s will not. I will give you time to think on this.”

**-line break-**

Blue stood outside the tower door once more, an umbrella the only thing between him and the downpour. He couldn’t remember if Red grabbed a raincoat or not before taking off.

He had started to wonder if he had come too late and Red had already left the tower, or if Sabrina had actually taken the leap to drug him and keep him inside. Leaf was safely deposited at the health clinic. She had grumbled the whole way there about not needing Blue to mother her, but Blue didn’t need two dumbasses out on the loose. He didn’t leave until Nurse Joy took her to the back to examine her.

Blue glanced at his watch. If Red wasn’t out in the next fifteen minutes, should he go check the farm or just bust into the tower? Last time, Red had been trapped there for hours.

Probably bust into the tower, then. Blue shuddered as he looked up at it. Dark ivy crawled up the sides while moss showered down from the top. Various colors of lichen spotted the wet, gray stone. It would have been a beautiful building if it wasn’t so goddamn creepy.

Thunder boomed in the distance, and Blue debated the merits of just marching in _now_ when the door creaked open and Red marched out. He didn’t even notice Blue as he flipped his hood up – _good lord Red that wasn’t a raincoat –_ and Blue darted to his side.

Red spun at the sudden contact and almost hit Blue, stopping right at the last second.

“Whoa there, cool it,” Blue said. “You okay?” He gently placed his palm against Red’s cheek.

Red leaned into the contact and placed a hand over Blue’s. His eyes closed and his shoulders started to shake as he sobbed.

Blue blinked.

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” he said, wrapping his other arm around Red, the umbrella leaning at an awkward angle. “Hey. I’m here. I’m sorry. It’s okay. It’s okay, alright? Let’s go back to the farm. Okay? Red?”

Red’s heavy arms wrapped around Blue and pulled him close. The sudden pressure caused Blue to drop the umbrella, and the rain beat down hard on their bodies.

Blue took a deep breath.

“Let’s go home, Red.”

**-line break-**

Blue pulled the blanket off Red’s blanket and wrapped it around himself as he waited for Red to finish drying off in the bathroom. As he walked around Red’s empty home, he noticed the old duffel bag shoved under the bed and wondered, not for the first time, if Red left anything in it.

He fought the urge to pull it out and check, instead opting to busy himself with the few dishes Red left in the sink. Raindrops thudded against the roof as he methodically cleaned.

Red emerged moments later in clean sweatpants and an old shirt. His cold, damp hair curled against his scalp.

“Is Leaf okay?” he asked quietly.

Blue walked over to him and pulled him into the blanket. “Yes. She’s with Nurse Joy; texted me moments ago saying everything looked fine. Just has to clean out the purple in her hair.”

Red nodded.

“Are you okay?” Blue asked after a moment. “Did Sabrina… do anything?”

Red shrugged. Blue raised his eyebrows.

“She’s a horrible person,” he said after a while.

“I’m not surprised.”

“She threatened to kill Leaf.”

Blue blinked. “What? Over what? What did Leaf do?”

Red looked down at his feet. Blue guided both of them over to the bed and sat down, Red at his side.

“She wants me to do something, and if I don’t, she’ll kill Leaf.”

“How?”

“Something to do with the sludge?”

“What, magic or some shit?” Blue asked.

Red shrugged.

“Weird. What does she want you to do?”

Silence.

Blue rested a hand on Red’s shoulder and leaned in to better see his face. Thunder boomed outside.

“Stop Candice and Maylene from leaving,” Red said at last.

Blue frowned. “What does she care if they leave? She’s not friends with anyone here.”

“Wants the town to stay together.”

“She’s… she’s not even in the town. What? Why does anyone’s business matter to her?”

Red hummed thoughtfully. “Not sure.”

“Did she say anything else? Any bright ideas on how to stop Candice and Maylene from leaving?”

“…Yeah.”

“Oh? What was it, slash their tires? Steal their suitcases?”

“Kill their daughter.”

Blue froze.

“What?”

“Or she kills Leaf.”

_“What?”_

Red shrugged. “Not really sure what to do.”

Blue’s mind started reeling. “Yeah, no shit. How the fuck is killing Iris going to fix anything? How could she even _suggest_ that? Iris has nothing to do with anything – she’s just a child.”

Red stood up and bent down to look under his bed, pulling the duffel bag out from underneath it. He set it on the bed and unzipped it before pulling out a slim photo album. Red looked at it for a moment, then over at Blue, and then set it back down.

“She thinks grief can hold people in place,” Red said at last.

Blue’s gaze travelled down to the album. “Can I see?”

Red looked at it once more before handing it to him.

Blue accepted it gingerly, taking care to treat it with utmost respect. He opened it to the first page to see photos of a chubby baby Red in the arms of a smiling woman. She looked kind and plain, medium brown hair and reddish-brown eyes shining in the light. She wore a red cap with a white semicircle, the same one Red wore now.

He turned the page. More pictures of Red, now an infant, often clinging to his mother’s leg. Some of the photos were taken in his apartment, poorly lit and small from what Blue could tell.

He skipped forward a bit and saw a teenage Red staring dully into the camera as his mother smiled next to him in front of a baseball cage, and a teenage Red at his high school graduation, lifting his joyously proud mother up into the air, confetti in the background. And then pictures of Red wearing a Goldenrod State hoodie, his duffel bag to one side and his mother to the other.

And then a handful of photos of Red with some people Blue didn’t recognize. The wedding pictures made him assume Ethan and Lyra were two of them, but the moody redhead was a mystery.

Then suddenly was a photo of Red’s mom, frail and weak but still smiling, an “I Beat Cancer” balloon in hand.

Then a photo of her funeral.

Blue felt a weight settle in his chest as he looked back at Red.

“She seemed like a beautiful person,” he said.

Red shrugged. “Not sure it’s relevant now.”

Blue looked back at the book. “How long were you in Goldenrod after her death?”

“A couple years.”

Blue flipped back to the start of the book, admiring the picture of baby Red in her arms.

“I was too young to remember my parents’ death,” Blue said after a moment, “but I can’t imagine losing Gramps now. He’s getting up there in age.” He sighed. “I guess I can’t see myself leaving Pallet for a while after he’s gone, either.”

“But you will. Eventually.” Red’s tone wasn’t accusatory, just depressingly factual.

“I’m not sure,” Blue said. He gently closed the book and handed it back to Red, who stared at its plain maroon cover.

“Pallet Town is falling apart,” Red said.

“Just the place. Not the people.”

“Unless Iris or Leaf dies.”

Blue sighed and let the heavy rainfall fill the silence between them.

“I’m going to talk to her,” Blue said. “To Sabrina.”

Red looked at him. “No.”

“ _No?_ I recall telling you that earlier,” Blue snorted. “I’ll bring some mace or something. She won’t hurt me.”

“She’s threatening to kill Leaf right now,” Red warned.

“I know. But Leaf isn’t from here. I am.” He looked at Red’s face, heart sinking at the fear and grief etched into the corners of his eyes. “I can handle myself, Red. I promise.”

“What’ll you say?”

Blue hummed. “You know, I’m not sure. But… I think I might talk to Lenora first. Her cousin, Olympia, used to spend time at the tower all the time before she moved to Kalos. Maybe Lenora knows something, or we can see if she can get us in touch with Olympia.”

Red nodded, placing the album back into the bag. He pulled out a shoebox left, apparently lost in thought.

“What’s in there?” Blue asked.

Red opened it and sneezed as a plume of dust rose from inside. He pulled out a teddy bear-sized stuffed animal of some kind of yellow mouse with spiky ears and a zigzagged tail.

Red studied it for a moment. Its fur had been matted down after years of love and use, and whatever material had been giving the tail its shape had broken at some point, causing the square tip to fold in half. Its eyes were shiny and bright, its smile faded from sun.

“This is Pikachu,” Red said fondly.

“Looks like he needs a bath,” Blue commented. Red sat down next to him, the stuffed animal gently cradled in his arms.

“Probably.”

“I think Dawn’s good with that stuff. She made a hobby of fixing up old stuffed animals for Hilda and Hilbert while she was in high school,” Blue said.

Red nodded and leaned into Blue, who wrapped the blanket around him once more.

“I don’t think I’m going home tonight,” he said as thunder crashed once more.

“You can stay here.”

“Alone with you? Gross,” Blue teased, pressing his face into Red’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started a plot at some point right


	11. In the Woods Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My head was warm  
> My skin was soaked  
> I called your name 'til the fever broke
> 
> When I awoke  
> The moon still hung  
> The night so black that the darkness hummed
> 
> I raised myself  
> My legs were weak  
> I prayed my mind be good to me
> 
> An awful noise  
> Filled the air  
> I heard a scream in the woods somewhere

“Olympia?” Lenora asked. Blue and Red nodded, sitting across the table from her. “I just talked to her last weekend. Yes, she and Sabrina used to be close. But Olympia had always wanted to see Kalos, and when she received a job offer there, we all celebrated when she took it. I know Sabrina had been upset at the time, but I always thought she would come around eventually and be happy for her. I still invite Sabrina to all our festivals, and she usually shows up for Spirit’s Eve. We don’t really talk, though. She keeps to herself.”

“Does Sabrina…” Blue started, fully aware of how stupid he was about to sound. “Does Sabrina have… uh…”

Lenora watched him, chin resting on her knuckles, amused. “Magic?”

Blue’s face reddened. “I mean, yeah. Or something similar. I don’t know.”

“Well,” Lenora said, “I’m personally not one for the supernatural, but I have always enjoyed the stories of this valley. Olympia did, too, even more than I did. Olympia would sneak out to play with Sabrina all the time and come home talking about different spirits they’d summoned and spells they’d cast. Sabrina was older, and I always assumed she was playing along to entertain Olympia, but…” Lenora shrugged. “She lives in a tower alone. She has for decades. Who knows what she gets up to? If there’s anyone I know of who _would_ prove magic to be real, it’s Sabrina. She is the one who sets up the maze on Spirit’s Eve, after all.”

Blue shuddered. “That thing is creepy.”

“Yes, and that’s why she’s still the one who does it. If you’d like to read about the Junimo – the legendary spirits of the valley – I have some old books on them in the archives. I’m not sure if she has any connection or believes she has any connection to them or not.”

“That’d be great,” Blue said. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Why the sudden interest, anyways?” Lenora asked, rising to her feet.

Blue looked at Red, who was staring at his hands.

“Had some interesting encounters with Sabrina in the past few days,” he said. “She made some threats.”

Lenora hummed and walked towards one of the looming bookshelves in the back. Glass panes covered it, and she pulled a small key out of her apron pocket to unlock them. “She’s never struck me as violent, but I guess I’ve never gotten to know her that well. I can call Olympia later today if she’s free and talk to her about it, too.” She crouched down some as she examined the lines of books. “Here we are. Oh, and one on valley magic, too, and the guardian spirits.” She carefully pulled out a stack of heavy, worn books and carried them back to Blue and Red. “These are not allowed to leave the library.”

Blue scooted his chair as close as possible to Red’s as they got to work.

**-line break-**

Hours later, they left the library full of information that Red wasn’t sure was relevant. He’d read dozens of accounts of the Junimo – the same little apple creatures featured in the saloon’s Junimo Kart machine – assisting people in the valley. They seemed to do everything from restore houses washed in floods to guide missing children safely back home, asking for nothing more than small gifts in return.

It didn’t sound like the Junimo would ever do something like help somebody in murdering a child. They seemed more eager to help than anything.

Blue had dove into a volume explaining the tower’s history. Mysterious people with connection to the spirits had lived there since the guardians first welcomed people to the valley, according to legend. Over time, some may have transformed in appearance to mysterious beings that live just beyond the valley mines. It didn’t have much information on that process or how the connection with the Junimos worked, but it was at least something.

Blue explained various theories as they walked to the saloon for dinner. On their way, they passed Candice, Iris on her shoulders. She giddily waved and ran over to join them. Guilt tugged at Red as the purple haired girl happily told him about the new room she’d have.

“And I’ll get a _big_ girl bed!” Iris explained as the group walked into the saloon. “And go to a real school! Miss Bertha won’t be there, though. She’s the best at teaching. But I’ll be at a school!”

“That sounds exciting,” Red said, the look on Sabrina’s face haunting him as she explained how this child’s death could hold the town together that much longer.

“And Mama says she bets I’m the only farmer there! None of the other kids know how to farm, but I do! So I gotta farm with you more before I leave.”

Red nodded, feeling sick.

Blue glanced at him as they took the corner booth, Iris settling between Candice and Red.

“Maylene should be here soon with Joey,” she said brightly. “What’ve you two been up to recently?”

Red stared at the menu.

“Oh, you know. The usual. Slimes, trees, farms, the usual,” Blue said, shrugging. His hand gently squeezed Red’s knee under the table. “Big storm yesterday.”

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Candice said. “Looked kind of cloudy today, too. How’d your house hold up, Red? Guess that’s a good way to quickly find any leaks.”

“It was fine.”

“I thought the house was gonna fall down!” Iris said.

Red shuddered. Blue squeezed harder.

“Maylene has an interview next week,” Candice said. “I’m excited for her. I was worried at first that she wouldn’t want to leave after all, but I mean, we always have the option of coming home, you know? We have to chase our adventure out there at some point. It’ll be weird not running our own store anymore, but I’m positive we’ll be successful at whatever we pursue. We’re both hard workers, after all!”

“We try to be,” Maylene added, sliding into the booth. Red had been so spaced out he didn’t even notice her arrive. Joey waved at him as he slid next to his mother.

“Joey, what do you think of all this?” Blue asked.

Joey shrugged. “I’m gonna miss Nate, but the house is super cool. And we’re going to get a dog!”

“We are?” Candice asked.

Maylene stuck her tongue out.

“Maylene-” Candice started.

“Two dogs, maybe,” Maylene said, and Candice rolled her eyes.

“I want a cat!” Iris said. “And a slime!”

“Well, I don’t think we’ll be getting a slime,” Candice said, hand brushing through Iris’s thick hair. “But I can see maybe a cat.”

“Cats suck,” Joey stated.

Dinner carried on like that for a while, with Candice and Maylene excitedly sharing their plans for the city while Red felt like he was about to die. He could feel Blue’s worried gaze, even as his boyfriend expressed interest in everything the family had to say.

“I think we have to go call it a night,” Blue said as they finished their meals. “I’m really excited for all of you. It’s a big world out there; you really should take your time to enjoy it. Just don’t forget the rest of us back here in Pallet Town,” he smiled. “Dinner’s on me tonight, okay?”

“No dessert?” Candice asked. “Come on, it’s not too late.”

“We’ve got an early morning tomorrow,” Blue said. “But hey, this weekend we should all get together, alright? I’ll make pancakes.” Iris cheered.

Red nodded at Maylene as he and Blue walked out.

“Thanks,” Red muttered once outside.

“Of course,” Blue said. “You feeling okay? You looked a little sick back there.”

Red shrugged.

“I can walk you home if you want. And stay the night.”

Red lightly pushed him. Blue laughed.

“If you’re sure,” Blue said. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind a repeat of last ni-”

“ _Blue_.”

Blue’s face immediately colored and it was Red’s turn to laugh.

“Can I walk home with you, though? Seriously,” Blue said. Red shrugged. “Glad to know my boyfriend’s so enthusiastic about spending time with me,” he mumbled as they started toward the farm. Red felt his heart skip a beat at the word.

It was a weird mix of feelings. He felt he was constantly torn between sheer joy over being with Blue, someone far more incredible than Red could have ever imagined, and the sharp, stabbing panic of what Sabrina intended to do. He felt guilty for enjoying his life when others were in danger, and guilty for moping over something removed from his control when he was so lucky to have Blue in his life.

“Should we tell them?” Red asked as the sun began to set.

“Hm?”

“Candice and Maylene. About Iris. Or Leaf.”

Blue thought as the gravel road crunched under their feet.

“It’s their lives in danger,” Red added.

“Yeah,” Blue said. “I guess I’d like to know if some witch was threatening someone into killing me. Actually, I’d hate to know that. That would be the worst possible thing for someone to tell me at any point, especially now that I know they wouldn’t be lying.”

Red barked out a laugh.

“I can talk to Leaf about it tomorrow. You can join if you want, and we can come up with a plan on how to break the news to Candice and Maylene. I’d just feel so bad throwing a wrench in their excitement about moving, though. I mean, obviously they should know, their daughter could be killed, but wow. That’s going to be really hard on them.”

The steps leading up to Red’s porch creaked under their weight, and Blue invited himself inside, just as always.

“Red, you really need to liven this place up,” he said. “I don’t get how you live like this. People might start to think you’re a psychopath.”

“You liven it up plenty,” Red said, looking around. His walls really _were_ pretty bare. He just didn’t know what he’d decorate with. He lacked any hobbies, or interests, or… anything that people would normally decorate with.

Blue turned on his heel, grinning. “Oh, do I now?”

Red felt his face heat up as Blue stepped toward him, so their chests almost touched.

“Why is that, Red?”

Red awkwardly looked away as Blue pushed closer, his warm breath brushing against Red’s neck.

“Red?” Blue asked, voice soft and sweet. He reached up and gently pulled Red’s hat off his head, tossing it onto the kitchen table. “You know, I’ve got some ideas.”

Red swallowed, leaning back into the wall as Blue leaned forward. Blue rested one hand to the side of Red’s head, the other trailing up his side.

“You wanna hear them?”

Red nodded.

“Well,” Blue said loudly, suddenly pushing off the wall and turning around. “I think, first of all, that you need some fresh paint. The floors are a million times better now that they’ve been refinished, but these walls could really use some work. This wallpaper looks like shit. Also, better light fixtures? Have some class. Who the hell just has lightbulbs stuck to the ceiling? And _then,_ ” he glanced back at the still flustered Red, “I think you just need a life size portrait of yours truly, if I make this place so much livelier. You know, to keep you company on the nights when I’m not around.” He smirked at the look on Red’s face. “But seriously, though. I get the creeps when I’m in here alone.”

Red blinked. When was Blue ever in his house alone?

“I do actually have to get some work done early tomorrow. Kinda behind from the whole debacle,” Blue said. “We can meet up in the library tomorrow night if you want. Call it a date.”

He suddenly pressed a kiss to Red’s lips and was out the door, calling goodnight as it swung shut.

Red slid down to the floor and wondered what his life had become.

**-line break-**

_Red walked on top of the tallest mountain towering over the valley, Pallet Town a mere dot before him. Snow packed all around him, but warmth spilled from his chest and towards his fingertips._

_He turned around and saw his apartment in Goldenrod, as empty as his flat on the farm. Sparsely furnished, neatly cleaned. It looked more like a showroom than a home._

_He turned around again and faced the tower. It felt warmer, somehow. More welcoming._

_Red opened the door._

_Inside sat Iris and Leaf. Iris was wearing a princess dress and wielding a dinosaur figurine while Leaf studied a report by Blue on the ecological history of Eterna Forest. Neither of them noticed Red as he walked towards them. The door slammed shut behind him, and the tower crumbled around him, Leaf and Iris falling with it. He reached out for them, desperate to save at least one._

_They both plummeted downwards, and Red filled with panic. He looked around, but there was nothing to help._

_So he dove, arms outstretched, praying he would fall as fast as them. He expected to feel air rushing around him, or the force of gravity, or something, but he didn’t. The only reason he knew he was moving was the closing distance between him, Leaf, and Iris._

_Suddenly, a large bird flashed before him, a brilliant, sparkling yellow, and grasped Iris within its talons. A flaming red one followed moments later for Leaf._

_Red gulped as freezing cold claws dug into his shoulders, and suddenly he was soaring upwards, Iris and Leaf carried to either side of him. Darkness reached out from below, desperately reaching for the pair to pull them back down._

_Red was abruptly deposited onto the mountain once more, but the darkness continued to chase Iris and Leaf. He reached out towards them, but they were too far away._

_The bird which saved him cawed, and he turned to face it._

_It was beautiful. Sleek, rounded light blue feathers covered its chest, darkening over its wings. Long, loose tailfeathers wrapped around its legs, and an icy crest jutted out between its intense, freezing eyes._

_The other two birds swooped by again, but this time it wasn’t Iris and Leaf in their claws. Instead it was Sabrina, screaming and howling, the only sound Red could hear. The darkness was reaching for her, too, coming far closer than it had with Iris and Leaf. It started to wrap around her ankle, and the shriek that Sabrina released rocked the valley._

_The bird cawed again and gestured towards the ground. Red looked down to see a small stone on the ground, shining in all colors of the rainbow. He reached out to touch it, and-_

__

Red sat up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. He could hear the light drizzling of rain against the roof as he rubbed his eyes, trying to calm himself. When he opened them, he only felt more panic.

Sitting at the foot of his bed was a Junimo, just like the ones he’d seen drawn in the books. It was blue, about half the size of a watermelon, with little stick arms and legs. It beeped at Red.

Red debated burying his head under the pillow and dealing with this all in the morning.

The Junimo beeped again, and hopped off the bed onto the floor, looking at Red expectantly.

Red uncertainly rose to his feet.

The Junimo walked to the door, beeping quietly the whole way, and waited patiently as Red opened it.

Outside, the stars spilled throughout the night sky, twinkling kindly over Red’s farm. He felt calmer, even as a sharp wind cut against his bare chest. The Junimo beeped again and jumped onto the porch railing. It gestured towards Red and pointed to the mountains.

No, just one mountain. The tallest one.

Mount Silver.

**-line break-**

Blue walked into the library, feet dragging with exhaustion. Red sat at a table in the corner, enraptured with a book on Mount Silver. To his side sat a neat stack on the guardian birds, rare gems, and the Junimo.

“Making any progress?” Blue asked as he settled in next to his boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

Blue liked that word.

“Had a dream last night,” Red said. “I’m going to Mount Silver tomorrow.”

Blue took a moment to process the words.

“What?” he said at last.

“A Junimo visited,” Red said. Blue stared.

He knew the valley was a strange place. He had known that since he was a child and fell into the river the day after he learned his parents died and woke up on the beach, completely unscathed when he should have drowned.

Sabrina herself should be more than enough proof that there was something mystical about the place.

But still.

“A Junimo?”

Red nodded.

“In the dream?”

“No. I saw Mount Silver in the dream, along with the birds.”

“And the Junimo was just… where?”

“In my house. Led me outside and pointed to the mountain.”

Blue settled into his seat, mind at war. On one hand, he could be dating a complete nutcase. Wouldn’t be the first time, that’s for sure. On the other, he might have a really interesting phenomenon to study that would be hell to get any funding for, and Red had actually found something useful.

Before he could continue that train of thought, Lenora appeared in front of them, phone in hand.

“I got a hold of Olympia today and told her about your dream, Red,” she said, and Blue felt a pang of jealousy that he wasn’t the first to hear about it. Whatever. He was an adult. Red could share his insanity with whomever he chose. Red only blushed for him, anyways. “She thinks your idea of going to Mount Silver is in the right direction.

“She also said that she feared Sabrina was, ah, turning. Something to do with disconnecting from the spirits? I believe it was in one of the books you read yesterday. It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed any of these. She actually intends to fly out here tomorrow, now.” Lenora looked slightly uncomfortable. Blue related. “I suppose I ought to tell Sabrina.” She sighed. “Good luck on your trip, Red. Blue, I trust you’ll make sure nothing goes wrong here while he’s gone?”

“Well, I mean, shouldn’t I go with him?” Blue demanded. Crazy or not, Red was his.

“I think Red will be fine on his own. I would rather have one of you here to keep Sabrina in check and explain to my cousin exactly what is going on.”

Blue wasn’t sure how exactly he’d be expected to do ‘keep Sabrina in check,’ but he saw Lenora’s point.

“I leave in the morning,” Red declared, closing the guidebook carefully. “Thank you, Lenora.”

She nodded.

**-line break-**

_ Dearest Red, _

_I am not sure what you intend to accomplish in the mountains. The only thing that can save Pallet Town are the people currently there._

_You have one week._

_ Sabrina _

Red shoved the letter into a pocket of his bag and walked towards town, hoping Blue was awake to say goodbye before he left.

**-line break-**

Blue had spent a grand total of 28 hours now since Red knocked on his door and gently kissed him goodbye, and he was ready to explode. Work felt impossible as more important questions held his attention.

Was Red okay? Did he make it to the mountain? Was he going to find what he needed? Did he bring enough food? Was he cold? Was he safe? Were his visions real? Did Blue just let a madman out into the mountains?

Leaf waved a hand in front of his face. The purple had mostly faded from her hair, but Blue could still notice traces of it out in the sunlight.

“Huh?”

“I asked which cuvettes worked best with the chlorophyll samples,” Leaf said. “What’s with you today? Did Red dump you already?

“What? No, of course not. No. And the quartz are fine.”

Leaf nodded and wandered back to her station while Blue glanced at the clock. Olympia should arrive any moment, now. Lenora had left that morning to pick her up from the Viridian airport.

Blue really, really hoped she knew something.

**-line break-**

Red studied the switchbacks stretching before him. His legs should feel tired by now, he knew, and his bare face should feel cold. Instead, he only felt calm and empty, the steep mountain to one side and the valley to the other. Red could make out the clearing that marked his farm and the little specks of houses in Pallet Town.

He breathed in the crisp mountain air, sharp with the scent of pine and juniper, and continued his trek.

**-line break-**

Olympia radiated power and confidence, galaxy cape looking perfectly in place around her shoulders. Tall, lean and beautiful, she drew the attention of all those around her. Her aura had only gotten more mysterious in the years she spent away in Kalos.

“Fate is a strange thing, isn’t it?” were the first words out of her mouth.

“I guess,” Blue said. Lenora set down mugs of tea on the table before taking a seat with them.

“Your friend, Red, is up on Mount Silver?” Olympia asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “That is a spiritual place for this valley. It is there, legend says, that the winged mirages were born. It is that mountain that the first people of Pallet Town crossed to enter the valley and seek refuge. I am not surprised that he was called there.”

Blue nodded. “Any reason why he was, though?”

Olympia smiled, perfectly straight teeth shining. “Why do you think?”

“Uh, I don’t know?” Blue said. “He just said he had a dream that called him there.”

“Hmm. Red is the grandson of a man who lived on the farm before, correct? Red was raised outside the valley, but he has roots here. Outside in the world he was disconnected from those roots, drifting like a dandelion seed in the wind. But here, well, he is physically and mentally grounded. I can see why a story such as his would call to the spirits. He is reconnecting after a generation lost.”

Blue shrugged.

“Sabrina likely senses that, too. That is why she would reach out to him.”

Lenora said nothing, quietly sipping her tea instead.

“What’s happening to her, again? She’s turning?”

Olympia nodded. “Yes. I had always assumed such would be her fate. Sabrina struggles to see the entire picture of the valley and its history, instead often becoming stuck on the here and now. Her connection with the Junimo has always been present, but I fear her myopic tendencies are driving them away from her. And so she is turning. Once cut off entirely, she will be but a shell of what she once was, and likely claw her way to Mount Silver to reach for the realm beyond.” Olympia clasped her hands together. “I will talk to her.”

“She’s threatening to kill people,” Blue said.

Lenora choked. Blue and Olympia quickly turned to her, but she coughed for a moment. “I’m fine,” she said, waving them away. “I just didn’t realize how serious her threats had been.”

Olympia studied her cousin for a moment before refocusing on Blue. “That is surely upsetting to the spirits, and likely the reason they are pulling away from her so quickly, causing her to act even more drastically. Can you remind me of who she is threatening, again?”

“Yeah. A little girl named Iris – Candice and Maylene’s daughter – and Leaf, my intern. She’s just here for the summer. Sabrina threw a ton of purple sludge on her for bothering her and told Red she could use it to kill her. Iris, though, she told Red to kill.”

Lenora coughed again.

“And what were her motives?”

“Uh, something about grief holding Candice and Maylene here. They’re planning on moving to Celadon City soon and selling their store here.”

“Ah. I will have to congratulate them; it takes great bravery to depart from the known and comfortable. However, I can see how that would bother Sabrina.”

“There’s been talk of building a Jojamart here too, once they’re gone,” Lenora said. “Our first big box store.”

“ _Ah._ Yes, that is a strange and difficult twist to this valley. I can see why Sabrina is worried, indeed.”

“So she wants to kill a child,” Blue deadpanned.

“It is horrendous,” Olympia agreed, “but it will not happen. Red did not agree to it, correct? He is seeking answers on Mount Silver instead, so we will be fine. I will discuss the issue of Leaf and Iris with Sabrina.”

“What’s Red even going to find on Mount Silver, anyways? I mean, if you’re here to talk Sabrina out of murder, then what’s Red supposed to accomplish?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?” Olympia said. “Unfortunately, I cannot say.” She took a sip of her tea. “Did you inform Iris’s family of the situation?”

Fuck.

“We were going to, but Red packed up for Mount Silver so quickly. Leaf, too.”

Olympia nodded. “Of course. But you did not.”

“…No.”

“I will leave telling Leaf to you, and I will have the conversation with Candice and Maylene. Secrets do little to help this valley.”

**-line break-**

Leaf shifted uncomfortably. She and Blue sat in Dawn’s kitchen while Dawn worked at the saloon. The table was a mess of papers and pens, printouts of homework assignments and apartment listings in Jubilife City and information on transfer credit lists. The walls were a light blue with one painted dark red, and the stainless steel fridge was covered in sticky notes. It seemed very Dawn.

“The witch in the tower wants to use magic to kill me?” Leaf asked.

“Well, I don’t know if she’s planning on using ‘magic’ or what,” Blue clarified, “but she’s threatening to kill you if Red doesn’t do what she wants.”

“Huh. And I was starting to like this place, too. Is that why Red’s at Mount Silver? To do her bidding?”

“Uh, Red’s there to figure out how _not_ to do her bidding, because that would involve killing someone else.”

“Who?”

“Iris.”

“The kid?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s fucked.”

Blue nodded. “It is. But now Lenora’s cousin is here, too, and she actually knows Sabrina, so she’s trying to talk to her about it.”

“How the hell do you reason with someone threatening to commit murder?” Leaf asked.

“I’m not really sure, but she’s doing it. And Red’s on some magical journey or some shit, so hopefully the two nutcases cancel each other out.”

“Huh. Do you think I’m in any real danger?”

“Now that Olympia’s here? Probably not. She seems to know her shit.” _Even if all that shit would’ve sounded like bullshit two weeks ago._

“Okay,” Leaf said.

“’Okay’?”

“Yeah. Okay. If someone’s out there making sure I don’t drop dead, then that’s enough for me. Anyways, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

Blue stared at her.

“Does the lab, like, hire people? Full time? Or just interns every now and then.”

“Your life is being threatened right now,” Blue said.

Leaf shrugged. “It happens. I’m just curious. I’m looking at going to grad school in Hoenn or Alola, and I want to get an internship in Johto next summer, so obviously I might change my mind if I like it in one of those places better, but I mean. This place is pretty nice. I can see myself living here. Property’s cheap and it’s nice and calm.”

“This town is _dying_ ,” Blue stated incredulously.

“So the property value will drop further,” Leaf said, shrugging. “I honestly didn’t like living in Saffron as much as I’d hoped. I just want to be out somewhere doing science, you know? And this is the perfect place for that. This is what I enjoy. And sure, all your lab equipment’s old as shit, but if you were actually planning on growing the place, then that could maybe change. You’re a pretty decent person to work with, too, and I assume Red’s got you tied down here for the time being.”

Blue blinked.

“Unless you leave, in which case I’ll gladly buy the lab and do it myself. Maybe. I mean, once again, I don’t know yet. I’ve still got other places to see and try. But I don’t want to be just some speck in a big lab somewhere reporting to thirty people and having to fight tooth and nail for any chance to do my own projects. I don’t enjoy any of that. I enjoy just, you know, doing the science. And I’ve been really able to do that here.”

“Well,” Blue said, “if you want to come back, I’ll gladly take you.”

“Great,” Leaf said. “First thing I’d do is repaint the main bedroom. Dawn painted one of the walls sparkly pink. It’s actually horrifying.”

**-line break-**

Olympia inhaled deeply, appreciating the deep, familiar scent of the tower. Sabrina stood before her, pale and small, far frailer than Olympia had remembered.

“Olympia,” Sabrina said, voice deadly. “I thought you had left for good.”

“Nobody leaves for good,” Olympia said calmly. “There is no real ‘leaving’ in this life. We are all still here, just a little farther.”

Sabrina scowled. “Well, why’d you come so much closer, then?”

“I heard you were making some poor decisions.”

“Poor decisions?” Sabrina huffed. “I am the only one _making_ decisions.”

“No,” Olympia said. “Many are making decisions, just not ones that you enjoy. Sabrina, this valley is more than Pallet Town, and Pallet Town is more than a place.”

“Just because I embrace the supernatural does not mean I am out of touch with the world,” Sabrina snapped. “I know how towns and cities can collapse. I know that they are not permanent.”

“If you know that, then why are you trying so hard to keep things as they are? Why would you threaten an innocent child?”

“You don’t care about this place like I do. You wouldn’t understand if I explained it.”

“You are correct. I do not care about this place, I care about its people.”

“Then why’d you leave?”

“Why wouldn’t I? The world is grand, Sabrina. It is okay to step out and see it.”

“And let what’s behind you crumble away?”

“Are you talking about yourself, or this town? Because the town is still very fine. It lives through cycles, just as everything does. People come, people go. It is ever changing. It may transition and change into something the people of today would detest, but what does it matter, so long as it benefits the people of tomorrow?”

“And what happens when there is nobody left?”

“It may be that way for some time,” Olympia said. “But people move. They pack up their belongings and dart off on a whim. They will find their way back, and they will find the history of this place. The valley has been empty before.”

“People are leaving too quickly,” Sabrina argued. “They are bringing in new stores that lack respect for culture and tradition. They will erase what is left of this place.”

“Culture and tradition change so radically over time it is almost laughable,” Olympia said. “The history is preserved in the books and scrolls my dear cousin takes such careful care of. And when she is gone, they will likely be cared for by another. Or they will not be, and they will be buried into the ground and rot away, and new tradition will be born. Or, perhaps, they will be uncovered and revived.”

“I’d rather they didn’t die to begin with,” Sabrina said.

“And I would rather that sacrificing children is not added to our list of traditions. Your only goal in this is to cause pain, Sabrina. Your plan is short-sighted and selfish. The spirits have turned on you, and you refuse to even do the deed yourself. It is despicable.”

“Red understands how important-”

“Does Red not illustrate the very point I am making here? Red’s grandfather lived here, decades ago. He left. He had children. Those children had Red. And Red returned. It is a _cycle_ , Sabrina. A large, long, loose cycle that pulls people in and spits them back out. It does not _break._ It changes form with time, as all things do, but it is _whole_. Every time someone leaves, they take a piece of Pallet Town with them. They share it with new people in a new place. And those new people pick up the pieces handed to them, and will take them back here and grow them. The cycle reaches out with those who come and go. It is natural.”

Sabrina crossed her arms. “And if people stop coming?”

“Then the memories scatter to the wind, until someone returns and unearths them, as I have said. Or they start again. It is all natural. It is all normal. It is all _okay._ ”

“Things changed after you left,” Sabrina accused.

Olympia nodded. “Yes. They did.”

“I was alone.”

“You are still alone. You will be until you stop looking at yourself and start looking around you.”

**-line break-**

If Red thought the stars were beautiful from Pallet Town, then no words could describe the skies outstretched before him. Divine and elegant failed to do justice to the sharp spikes and gentle swirls of galaxies and planets just beyond the stratosphere.

Snow crunching under his boots, Red walked up to the summit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> olympia is literally my favorite gym leader design out of the spooky types (psychic/ghost/dark/fairy) just look at her she warms my heart


	12. Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be as you've always been  
> Be like a love that discovered the sin  
> That freed the first man, would do so again  
> And lover be good to me (Lover be good to me)  
> Be that hopeful feeling when Eden was lost  
> That's been next to our after since the master was crossed  
> Which side of the wall really suffers that cost  
> Oh, lover be good to me

The shard caught the light of the stars and held it, drawing Red straight to it. He reached out gingerly, mind flashing back to the abrupt ending to his dream. He paused, and looked above him. He thought he could see the outline of the bird he’d seen before drawn in the sky. Wind swirled around him, but he felt no cold.

Red took a deep breath and picked up the shard.

**-line break-**

_A tall, ruby-eyed man walked through rows of corn and cabbage, a dog at his heels. In the distance, a barn stood tall and proud, sheep, cows, and pigs gathering around it. Chickens and ducks clucked and quacked from a tidy, well-maintained coop. The man carried a beam across his shoulders, buckets of water hanging from either end._

_The man looked at Red._

_Red looked back._

_He carried on his way until he reached a field of sunflowers, all gazing up towards the sky. He gently set the beam and buckets down and started to carefully water the flowers._

**-line break-**

_A woman, broad-shouldered and dark-haired with the palest eyes strapped her pickaxe to her back. She unrolled a rope ladder and tied it to the base of a large stalagmite. The cave was poorly lit, and Red could barely make out her features. Bats screeched in the distance, but she paid them no mind._

_ As she started to descend to the next floor of the mines, she looked at Red. _

_Red looked back._

_She disappeared into the floor, and Red heard the telltale clang of axe against ore as she continued her business._

**-line break-**

_A young boy blended into the dark, earthy hills as he made his way towards the tower. It was early morning as he climbed a sturdy oak tree all the way to its highest branches, unafraid of the ground below. He straddled himself against the branch so his chest lay flat, and he waited. A pair of slimes came into view an hour later, and the boy grinned with delight._

_The boy looked at Red._

_Red looked back._

_He slowly started to crawl back towards the tree trunk. Just as he neared the bottom of the tree, his grip gave out and he fell into the thorny bushes below._

__

**-line break-**

_The Junimos gathered around the tower, shiny and new and unclaimed by nature. A woman with an intimidating gaze and shiny blue hair sat before them cross-legged, arms held out to either side. The Junimos danced towards her, and she let out a laugh, opening her onyx eyes._

_She looked at Red._

_Red looked back._

_She stood up and opened the door, watching as the Junimos paraded inside. She followed them moments later, and the door closed with a soft click._

**-line break-**

_Nobody walked through the fields, and dead plants from the season before littered the farm. Slimes wandered into and out of the barn, consuming whatever detritus sat in their path._

_Nobody walked through the mines, and the skeletons started to pick up the old weapons left behind by previous adventurers. One swung a sword at another, knocking its arm off._

_Nobody walked through the forest, and a pair of squirrels darted up a tree. They emptied their cheek pouches on the highest branches, dropping acorns into the vacant bushes below._

_Nobody walked through the tower, and ivy started to creep up its sides. Lichen descended down from the uppermost blocks towards the base, decorating the once-shiny granite with orange and green._

_A woman crawled into the abandoned town, exhausted and empty, and cupped her hands into the river to drink her fill. A Junimo cautiously approached her._

**-line break-**

Red exhaled, the shard warm in his hand. He opened his eyes and looked down into the valley, obscured in the dark of night.

He pictured Iris standing before him, short and full of cheer, and prayed that she would enjoy her new life in Celadon.

He pictured Leaf, bored and sharp, and hoped that she was staying in contact with her friends back home.

He pictured Sabrina, harsh and biting. He did not know what he wished for her. He wished for her to find compassion, he supposed, or to forge the same kind of connections he had, though he was not certain that’s what she wanted. He wanted her to understand the spirits of the valley, but she must already do so for her to do the magic she did.

He supposed he just wanted her to find what she wanted.

All around him stretched the world, vast and unending and permanently changing. His life was nothing new, just another step forward in an eternity of steps in every direction. The footprints he left in the sands of time, criss-crossing with those of the others in this tiny valley village, would blow away eventually for others to pave their way.

He wondered how many people passed through this secluded area through the years. He wondered how many times the area changed, just to change back once more.

How much change would he see in his lifetime?

Pallet Town could die, Red realized. It could vanish without a trace. Given enough solitude, the buildings would crumble into the dirt. Wildfires would erase all that had ever been there. It could become simply another part of a forest, for someone like Blue to study centuries later and form guesses as to how it reached its current state.

If Pallet Town died, another town would not have to exist. Nothing would need to.

But something would, eventually.

And they could dig up Lenora’s bookshelf of Pallet Town’s history and read about the winged mirages and the Junimo. Or they could not.

And that thought hurt. It stung deeper than Red could imagine.

But the thought of this place stagnating stung deeper. The entrapment of generations of people, unallowed to move, held in place by grief and obligation, proved to be an unbearable thought.

Red missed Ethan and Lyra.

He missed his mom.

He missed his dad and his grandparents and the family he never had.

They had all moved on, some by choice, others by force, and it hurt. It ached.

He felt like he had lost so much when he only ever had so little.

**-line break-**

Sabrina and Olympia sat facing each other, backs straight, legs crossed with the left on top.

“What do you want, Sabrina?” Olympia asked. “What is so important to preserve that we cannot allow for change?”

Sabrina stayed quiet.

“Do you feel it?” Olympia asked. “The shard?”

She nodded.

“It has been years since I have had any connection to the Junimo, and yet I feel it too,” Olympia said. “I cannot imagine the intensity you must be experiencing now.”

Sabrina paused. “It is dull. Separated. Like there is a wall between me and it.”

“Stop looking inward,” Olympia advised.

**-line break-**

_The winged mirages soared overhead, a small band of people clustered in their wake. Red could not see beyond the valley as they migrated, fragments of their past carried in baskets and packs. They reached a fair area between woods, mountains, and sea, and sat together to rest. The Junimo watched curiously from behind the trees._

_Houses were fashioned in every possible way; from mud and grass, from trees and twine, from stone and clay. Some drank water straight form the river, others filled cups and vases. They talked and shared stories of the dead places they came from, laughing as they remembered their heritage._

_They had kids and taught them how to live in the valley. They taught them of their journey there and the things they saw. They taught them how to fish and mine. Some dark nights, they would tell stories of the dead places their parents came from._

_Their kids had kids and they taught their kids how to improve their lives in the valley. They taught them how to fasten fishing rods and crab pots, how deep they could go into the mines with just a single torch. Some dark nights, their grandparents would tell stories of their journey there and the dead places they had come from._

_Those kids had kids, and they learned to farm. More people came to the valley, and one young couple dared leave. They built a store and a large building in which they kept grains and dried meat, and some precious few belongings. Some dark nights, their parents and grandparents would tell legends of the first journey there and the ancient, dead places they had come from._

_Then came merchants, with stories of the world beyond, and one by one, the people of the valley left until only one elderly couple remained. They spent their days emptying crab pots and picking the ripest fruits from the orchards, talking about all that had changed in their town. The stories of their parents were just a fond memory until they laid down to rest._

_And it all happened again._

_And again._

_And again._

_The winged mirages never failed to rise from the ash. The soul of the valley never shifted._

_Red still hurt as civilizations were buried, never to be recovered again._

_Every now and then, someone would dig into the rich soil and find a piece of the past and hold onto it, collecting all that they could and preserving it in whatever means were available. Some things stayed together. Others still slipped away, pieces of an infinite puzzle._

_The people of the valley cared. But they left, and came back, and left again. They could not save it._

_There was nothing to save._

**-line break-**

“It _hurts,_ ” Sabrina whispered. “I want it back.” She opened her eyes and looked at Olympia. “How is this okay? How can you let go?”

“I look to the future,” Olympia said simply. “I embrace the change. It is beautiful, Sabrina, to look at all the world can become.”

“Just to be forgotten, trampled, and lost once more,” Sabrina said. The crushing weight of missing history held her in place as she sobbed.

**-line break-**

Red’s photo album sat open in Blue’s lap as he waited for Red’s return. Pikachu rested at his side, and the small collection of foil baseball cards, shiny rocks, and intricately drawn doodles lay scattered across the bed.

He looked at the photo of Red’s mother’s tombstone and wondered when Red would want to visit it again. He wondered about Red’s grandparents, and if anyone was around to mourn them. He wondered who would mourn his own parents once he died.

He wondered who would bury him and Red, decades into the future, and where that would happen. He wondered who would attend their funerals.

Blue’s heart beat faster as he looked at the pictures of young Red clinging to his beautiful mother.

Blue was the only one who knew the feel of Red’s lips, soft and surrounded by permanent stubble. He was the only one who knew what it felt like to hear Red moan his name, what it felt like to have Red underneath him, on top of him, at his side. Red was an experience only Blue ever had.

Blue had shared his love to dozens throughout the years, he realized, but none of them would hold on to all of it. A handful of vulnerable moments, moments where Blue had laughed and cried and felt alive, buried deep into his heart, settled next to the overwhelming hope and joy and love he felt for Red.

When he died, those moments and feelings would be gone. Erased from the world forever.

Blue looked at the picture of Red’s mother’s tombstone.

She was gone, and so were all her memories of Red. Only one half of that story remained.

And when Red died, it would all vanish.

Gone.

Blue’s heart ached.

**-line break-**

A butterfly flapped its wings as Iris chased after it, the sun just breaking past the horizon, filling the world with colors anew. She giggled, diving down as it landed on a dandelion, just for it to flutter right outside her grasp. Each beat of its wings brought with it infinite, impermanent change.

Candice polished the store windows, just as she did every morning. She would have to do so again after her children smudged their hands and faces against it, but she didn’t mind. By the time the store opened, it would be crystal clear, just as if nothing had sullied it to begin with.

But if one looked closely, they may notice a spot near the top right corner. She missed it today, just a single speck of dirt, the only sign that it was anything other than completely fresh and new. Candice smiled at her work.

Maylene swept the floors and restocked the shelves, the dust in the garbage cans the only evidence anyone had walked through, the half-empty pallets in the back room the only suggestion that anything had been purchased.

Those pallets would be replaced soon enough, and the old ones sent back to their supplier, the only sign an exchange had ever occurred being the missing gas in the supplier’s truck, the light wear on the tires, and the grooves in the road leading out of town. Small, tiny, unnoticeable changes that could lead to infinite conclusions.

Iris laughed as the butterfly settled on her head.

**-line break-**

Red looked at the rainbow-colored rock in his hand, so full of thought and emotion that he felt numb. He set it back into the snow and breathed slowly.

Inhale.

Exhale.

His mind wandered through years of emptiness and fulfillment, loss and gain, as he rose to his feet and walked back towards the trail down the mountain.

**-line break-**

Blue threw his arms around Red, and Red pulled him close.

“I’ve got you now,” he whispered. “In this moment.”

And this moment did not belong to history. It belonged to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes. i learned about themes from ap lit in high school years ago. i am... sophisticated.  
> now they smooch


	13. No Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's no plan, there's no race to be run  
> The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun  
> There's no plan, there's no kingdom to come  
> I'll be your man if you got love to get done  
> Sit here and watch the sunlight fade  
> Honey, enjoy, it's gettin' late  
> There's no plan, there's no hand on the reign  
> As Mac explained, there will be darkness again

“Oh, Leaf,” Dawn said as she poured a bowl of cereal, “that hair dye didn’t last long, now did it?”

Leaf looked up from her toast. “Hm?”

“Your hair. It was purple for a while, wasn’t it? I thought it looked nice. I know some decent brands for hair dye if you want to try one.”

“Oh. I didn’t dye it on purpose,” Leaf said. “It was a mishap.”

Dawn shrugged. “Well, if you ever wanted to rock the purple hair again on purpose, you’ve got my full support.”

“Thanks, Dawn.”

“Have you heard Lenora’s cousin’s in town?” Dawn asked. She sat down across from Leaf, a mess of papers sitting between them.

Leaf nodded. “Blue mentioned it yesterday. I haven’t met her yet, though.”

“Yeah. She’s, like, really cool. She lives in Kalos now. I’ve always wanted to visit Kalos.”

Leaf appreciated that about Dawn – her desire to just see and do everything, to try as many things as possible. Leaf had always just wanted to find a path that worked that she could stick to. She didn’t want a life of constant change and pressures; she wanted to see her options and pick one to hold onto.

Her parents had constantly lectured that one must be always ready and willing to accept change, and Leaf tried to be, but the allure of safety and stability was just too strong. She wished for linear growth, as impossible as it was.

“It sounds like an interesting place,” Leaf said, taking another bite of her toast.

“I’m not totally sure what she does there. I think she’s some kind of minor celebrity? I know she has a degree in astronomy, but I think she does, like, fortune telling and stuff now. She’s wicked smart, just like Lenora. I kind of want to ask her how she ended up where she did, you know? That’s such an interesting path to take.”

Leaf nodded.

“I wish I knew what I wanted to do,” Dawn said. “Like, for sure. I have a general idea, I have a plan, but I just worry that my entire life will fly by before I have a chance to live it.”

“I think you’ll be fine, Dawn,” Leaf said through a mouthful of toast. “You’re, like, the most adventurous person I’ve met. I don’t really see a future where you _aren’t_ out exploring everything.”

“Thanks Leaf,” Dawn said. “That means a lot. You know, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I’ve really appreciated my time with you. Like, I’m really glad we met before I left.” Dawn laughed. “I suppose I just feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for something new to happen, and now here it is, right as I’ve finally found out how to seek the change myself.”

Leaf smiled. “Well, if you ever come back to visit, I’m sure there’ll be even more change to see.”

“I sure hope so,” Dawn said.

**-line break-**

Red woke up, Blue’s body pressed tightly against his own. He wondered how to express what he’d experienced. How could words explain the enormity of what he’d seen on the mountain? He knew, logically, that his life was no different than before. He still had no solution to the problem with Sabrina and Iris and Leaf, he still secretly wished that Maylene and Candice would stay.

He was the same person he was before he went up to the peak, but he felt so different.

Things hurt, but the hurt didn’t feel so… present. Pointless. As if he had spent his life seeking some unobtainable goal that would never have been worth anything to begin with.

The pain in his chest at the thought of his mom and his friends felt real and right.

He would be okay.

He felt Blue shift against him, his lips pressing against the back of Red’s shoulder blades.

“Good morning,” Blue whispered, voice raspy and pleasant.

Red squirmed and rolled so he was looking Blue straight in the eyes. He leaned in and gently kissed Blue on the nose.

“Good morning,” Red whispered back. Blue crinkled his nose.

“Ew. Ew. Morning breath. Get up, we’re brushing our teeth. Come on. Up and at ‘em.”

Red groaned as Blue clambered over him and to the bathroom.

“I’m not kissing you until you brush your teeth!” Blue warned, and Red heard water start to rush out of the sink faucet. He sighed heavily before sitting up and collecting his thoughts. His backpack sat next to his feet, and he took a moment to pull Sabrina’s letter out of his bag and reread it. If she could maybe go up to Mount Silver and see what Red had seen, she’d be able to let go.

He folded it back up and returned it to his bag before joining Blue in the bathroom to brush his teeth.

They looked cute together in the mirror, Red thought. Blue was only about an inch or two shorter than him, narrow where Red was wide. His hair stuck up in any and all directions, dramatic and defined, just like Blue.

“Olympia said she would probably have the whole Sabrina situation under control,” Blue said as they started breakfast. “I’m not sure if she’s still at the tower or not, though. Actually, let me text Lenora. We should probably go see what’s up if Olympia’s not back yet.”

Red nodded as Blue pulled out his phone.

“How was Mount Silver?” he asked. “You didn’t say much about it last night. I was kinda wondering if you’d just completely lost your mind, honestly.”

“It was… intense,” Red said, flipping the eggs in the pan. He pulled a pack of Colby jack, purchased by Blue, from the fridge and softly laid half a slice of cheese on each egg.

“Yeah, hiking up the tallest mountain in the region over the course of two days sounds intense,” Blue agreed, looking up from his phone. “Olympia hasn’t gone back to town yet, so tower it is. Unfortunately. Did you, ah, find anything while you were there?”

“Yeah,” Red said. “It wasn’t even the hiking that was intense. I felt fine going up. There was a, uh, rock at the summit.”

“A rock?”

Red squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he didn’t sound too strange. “Yeah. I saw it in my dream. And when I picked it up, I, uh, saw stuff.” He cursed how horrible he was at explaining things.

Blue touched his arm softly. “Hey, it’s alright. I believe you. What kind of stuff?”

“I don’t know. A lot of things. All about the valley, I guess.” He took the eggs off the heat. “People have lived here for millennium, Blue.”

“And you saw them?”

“Some of them, yeah. And it just… I don’t know. There’s so many things that happened, but they all disappear. It’s not like they never happened, it’s just like they vanish.” Wow, real coherent, Red. He mentally kicked himself. “And then it all happens again. It doesn’t change. I mean, it changes, but not really?” He sighed. “I don’t know. It was a lot.”

“Hmm,” Blue said. “Do you know why the forest spirits wanted you to go up there?”

Red nodded, thinking of his mom. “Yeah.”

“Are you glad you went?”

“I think so.”

They ate breakfast in silence before heading out into the woods. Red felt Blue’s hand slip into his as he walked, and he squeezed it gratefully. The tower stood ahead of them, tall and proud, clear of the normal creepy aura that previously clung to it so dearly. A weight seemed to lift off of Red’s chest as they reached the door.

Blue knocked.

“Enter,” an unfamiliar voice commanded.

“That’s Olympia,” Blue whispered as he opened the door. Red nodded.

The tower smelled the same as always, the thick carpet the same color as before. Inside, a regal woman Red assumed was Olympia kneeled in front of an unconscious Sabrina. She beckoned them forward.

“How are you, Red?” Olympia asked.

Red uncomfortably shrugged. Olympia nodded.

“My name is Olympia. I am, like you, connected to the spirits of the valley,” she said. “However, my time away has weakened that link. It is a sacrifice I chose to make, but a sacrifice that did not help me here.” She laughed softly. “Did you find what you were looking for on Mount Silver?”

“I think so,” Red mumbled.

“We could feel it here,” Olympia said. “What you saw.”

Red felt Blue’s eyes on him as he swallowed.

“Is Sabrina okay?” he asked.

“She will be. She just needs time.” Olympia sighed. “Some of us are better equipped to handle change than others, I suppose. She has spent so long stagnating in this tower that I fear she forgot how intense change can feel. Being connected to the supernatural does not help, I suppose. Especially when someone projecting feels so strongly.”

“Is…” _Is it over?_

“She no longer intends to harm anyone in the village, and she will not expect you to, ah, murder a child,” Olympia said. “I do not know if it is wise for her to stay here, though. I would never expect a village to forgive someone who willfully threatened murder. But I do not know where to take her, either. Your projection last night was able to pause her turning, and I don’t think she will continue to once she wakes up. It is likely safe for her to leave the valley, but… she just has nowhere to go.”

“Goldenrod.”

Olympia looked up at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“I’m from Goldenrod,” Red said, suddenly wondering if this was a stupid idea. “I left there to come here. Maybe, ah, I should…” He trailed off, realizing he didn’t know exactly what he meant.

Olympia smiled. “I understand. I will suggest it to her when she wakes up. And ensure she goes.”

Red nodded. “Thank you.”

“No Red, thank _you._ ”

**-line break-**

“She’s safe now?” Candice asked. There were dark rings under her eyes, and her normally immaculate braided hair was frizzy and ruffled. Iris had not been let out of her sight since Olympia and Blue first talked to her about the situation. She and Maylene had taken it as well as they could’ve, which was to say they took it horribly.

Blue nodded. “Sabrina will be moving to Johto. And Leaf is safe now, too.”

Candice heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank _God,_ you have no idea how scary the past couple days have been. How could someone threaten a child like that, you know? Iris is just about the cutest little girl in the world. How could anyone wish her harm?”

“I know, it’s horrible,” Blue agreed. “It was a sick situation. I’m just glad Olympia and Red were able to sort it out.”

Candice nodded.

“I think it’s time I take a shower, then,” she laughed. “And take a nap.”

“Ditto,” Maylene agreed. “I need to look alive for my interview this afternoon.”

She and Candice grinned at each other.

“What’s the status on the store, anyways?” Blue asked. “Are they building a Jojamart or is someone buying this place or what?”

“Ah, right! Do you remember Roark?” Candice asked. “Byron’s son.”

“Yeah?”

“He called us once his dad told him the place was for sale. He doesn’t want to take the place on permanently, per se, but he’s going to take it over for a while. He’s been working up in Pewter for a while now and has been looking for a reason to come back home.”

“He’s got a kid now, too,” Maylene added. “Mira, I think her name was? She’s been struggling in school, apparently, so he’s hoping some homeschooling and Bertha will get her back on track.”

“That’s great,” Blue said. “Honestly. I bet Byron’s happy.”

“Of course he is. You know how heartbroken he was when Roark left,” Maylene laughed. “Speaking of, you and Red better not be too broken up over us, okay?”

“Why would we miss _you_?” Blue joked, and Maylene “lightly” punched his arm. Blue winced.

“I’m serious, though. Our house will always be open to you two. In fact, I’ll be upset if you don’t visit once we’re settled,” Maylene warned. “I still love the people here, and don’t you forget it.”

“I won’t,” Blue said. “I mean, so long as you know it’s one-sided-” Maylene punched him again. That was gonna leave a bruise.

“Where’s Red, anyways?” Candice asked.

“He’s on the phone with a couple of his friends from Goldenrod,” Blue said, shrugging. “They’ve been talking about coming to visit for a while now, and with the Luau coming up soon, they all figured it’d be the perfect opportunity.”

“Where’re they going to stay? Red’s house isn’t exactly… spacious.”

Blue shrugged. “Probably at my place. I think Red’s been thinking some about expanding, though. And hopefully decorating.”

**-line break-**

“You sure you’ll be okay with her?” Lenora asked, frowning worriedly at her cousin and a still-sleepy Sabrina.

“Yes, Lenora,” Olympia smiled. “You’ve always worried so much about me through the years.”

“You’ve always given me reason to worry,” Lenora retorted. “Just… come back soon, okay? I don’t see enough of you anymore. You know you’re always welcome here.”

Olympia nodded. “I suppose you’ll need someone else to prepare the Spirit’s Eve maze too, correct?”

Lenora laughed. “Well, of course! We have a reputation now, you know. People from Viridian come down to see it.”

“Maybe I’ll see you then,” Olympia said. “I can never resist a crowd.”

The cousins embraced tightly.

**-line break-**

Red smiled so hard it hurt when he saw Ethan and Lyra reach the airport lobby, their three-year-old daughter between them.

“Red!” Ethan called, dropping his bags to run to his friend. They hugged for a second before Ethan turned, arm slung around Red’s shoulders. “Lyra, I saw him first! I win!”

“Come get your bags, you oaf,” Lyra said, rolling her eyes. “Red, it’s been too long, really! I wish we could’ve come seen you before you left. I was so surprised to hear you’d moved all the way to Kanto. How’ve you liked it so far?”

“It’s been great,” Red said. “Honestly. Better than I could’ve imagined.”

“Really? I had never even heard of Pallet Town before. It sounds like a nice place, though.” Red led them out to the street, where Blue waited parked in his grandfather’s old van.

“It’s small,” Red conceded, “but close.”

“What’s up?” Blue asked as they loaded up the trunk of the car with luggage. “I’m Blue, your tour guide today. Well, once we hit Pallet Town. I don’t know jack sh- oh there’s a child – uh – well. Well, we’re heading to Pallet Town.”

Red grinned as he climbed into the passenger seat, Ethan and company safely tucked in the backseats.

“So,” Ethan started moments later, “how’d you end up dating my best friend?”

“Oh, you know. He showed up to town, clueless in the middle of a dump of a farm, ready to give up and leave before he met my handsome self,” Blue stated, pulling out into the street.

“Blue stalked me my first two weeks here and kept insisting I spend the night in his house until we slept together,” Red corrected.

“I didn’t _stalk_ you,” Blue argued. “There’s, like, three places to go in town. No sh- no kidding we’d end up in the same place a lot of the time.”

“You invited yourself into my house multiple times.”

“And you never bothered to put a shirt on.”

“Because I was supposed to be alone. In my house.”

“Your house isn’t even a house. It’s a shack, and it didn’t even have working plumbing when he moved in, by the way, friends in the back. He lived like a caveman.”

“It had plumbing!”

“Oh _right,_ it was _electricity_ , _filtration,_ and a _water heater_ you lacked!” Blue said. “I still don’t get how you survived – _oh wait,_ it was because you basically lived with me.”

“You don’t have clean water?” Lyra asked in horror.

“He does now. We got the whole place fixed up. He even finally put up some pictures the other day. Besides, you’ll all be staying in my house while you’re here. Red’s too far away from town and his shack can only fit one person.”

“It’s getting expanded.”

“So Red will also be at my house, because there’s a giant hole in the wall until Marshal finishes.”

“I never said that.”

“You’re right. I did.”

**-line break-**

“May’s a cutie, isn’t she?” Ethan asked, watching as his daughter ran along the beach with Iris. Red nodded. “I wouldn’t trade her for the world. Any of it. And diapers _sucked._ ” He smiled at Red. “I’m happy for you, dude. I was so worried when I left, but everything happened so fast with Lyra and May and Silver that I just… I conked out, to some degree.”

Red shrugged. “Just part of life. You’re here now.”

Ethan shrugged. “I suppose. But I could’ve been here earlier.”

“I could’ve been there for you, too.”

He laughed. “Nah, I got it all figured out now. Well, not all figured out. But mostly. Me and Lyra have been getting through everything together, you know? One step at a time. And it seems like you’ve found someone who can be there for you like that, too.”

Across the beach, Blue was pitifully losing to an arm-wrestling contest against Maylene.

“Yeah,” Red said. “Seems I have.”

“You know,” Ethan said, “we really need to put each other on our schedules again. I’m certain Lyra and I can find time to come out every other year, and you can stop by in the off years. I’ve missed you, Red. I want to keep up with everything new in your life.”

“I’d like that, too.”

**-line break-**

Blue’s arm held Red tight around the waist as they waved goodbye to Candice and Maylene. Boxes packed the entire bed of their pickup truck, and Joey and Iris sat in the cramped backseat behind their parents. The whole town gathered around as they slowly made their way down the road out of the valley and to Celadon City.

“I better see all of you in a month in Celadon!” Maylene shouted, torso sticking out of the passenger window as she said her goodbyes. “Every! Single! One! We’ll have a huge party! Full Pallet Town style!” Tears slid down her face as the pickup truck disappeared into the distance.

Red buried his head in Blue’s shoulder, his shoulders shaking slightly.

“You heard her,” Blue whispered. “We’ll visit in a month, once they’re settled. It’ll be a whole adventure, alright?”

Red nodded as he tried to hold back his sobs.

The next morning, Roark opened the store, a short girl with long pink hair at his side.

“Welcome!” he said as Red stepped inside. “It’s great to meet you!”

“No it’s not!” Mira corrected, arms crossed.

Red smiled.

**-line break-**

The best day of Red’s life was by far the day he and Blue started dating, but the day he got his first chickens was a close second. He sat in the middle of his coop, heart overflowing with delight as the small, fluffy creatures peeped and pressed against his warm body.

“What’re their names, again?” Blue asked, smirking at the sight of his gentle boyfriend overwhelmed with joy.

“Pikachu,” Red said, pointing to the yellow one, “Charizard, Snorlax, and Venosaur.”

Blue hummed. “Interesting.”

The coop had been completely refurbished, and Red had let Hilda and Rosa paint the walls with various pride flags. Blue had, unfortunately, been dragged along with the two of them and Whitney to the Viridian Pride Parade. Red hadn’t seemed to mind their time one bit, but then again, Red wasn’t the one Hilda asked about how butt sex worked.

**-line break-**

The third best day in Red’s life was the day he and Marshal built the slime coop and he hatched his first slime egg.

“No,” Blue deadpanned, standing in the threshold to the small stone fortress. “No. There’s no possible way. You would not do this to me.”

“This is Crystal!” Red said, holding the tiny slime up for Blue to see. Red’s hands were already starting to rash from the contact.

“That is a _demon,_ ” Blue corrected.

He turned to walk out once Red lifted the goo ball to nuzzle against his face, but was stopped once Red got up and wrapped his arms around Blue, Crystal the slime still in hand.

“Don’t get that thing near me,” Blue warned as Red squeezed him gently, pressing kisses up and down his neck.

“Tell me she’s cute,” Red said, stubble scratching against Blue’s face as he nuzzled him. “She’s a cute slime.”

“Don’t gender the slime. Slimes don’t have gender until they’re fully grown,” Blue said, squirming as Red’s free hand slid under his shirt.

“She’s a cute slime,” Red repeated, pushing his nose into Blue’s hair and squeezing his chest. “Say it.”

“Red, go to hell.”

Red started lifting Crystal towards Blue, and Blue hit Red’s hand, causing him to drop it.

Red immediately let go of him, gaping in horror.

“Crystal!”

“Red, she’s fine. She’s a slime.” Good god, now he was gendering the slime.

Red crossed his arms and turned away from Blue.

“Red, please,” Blue said, “she’s just a slime. Look, she’s fine. I didn’t hurt her. Come on, it’s okay. I’m sorry.” Why was he apologizing? Red was the one trying to make him touch a slime.

Red remained unresponsive.

“Jesus, Red, fine. Fine. Okay. You know what? I’ll pet the slime. Okay? Look. Look, I’m petting it.” Blue forced down the bile in his throat as he reached out to touch Crystal. Red turned slightly to watch.

Crystal lunged at him. Blue shrieked. Red laughed.

Blue never warmed up to the slimes.

**-line break-**

“Here, before I leave,” Dawn said, smiling her perfect smile. “Blue brought him to me. Pikachu, right?”

She held out Red’s old stuffed animal, now in considerably better shape than before. His fur was a light, faded yellow instead of a matted orange-brown; his tail stuck out straight, the square tip unbroken; his smile had been re-dyed black so it was visible against the face. He was soft to the touch once more, and restuffed.

Red felt like he was going to cry as he held his childhood toy.

“It’s been really nice knowing you, Red,” Dawn said. “You really make this town a better place, you know? And it’s nice that we finally found someone to tolerate Blue.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Blue demanded.

“You know what it means, asshole,” Dawn said, sticking out her tongue at him. Blue glared and she laughed, light and melodious and pretty. “Come here, both of you,” she said, opening her arms wide to squeeze them all together. “I’m going to miss you. I’ll come by and visit, though, okay? And maybe you can come out sometime once I graduate and actually, like, live somewhere. Thank you both _so much_ for everything.”

And then Red actually started crying.

**-line break-**

For the first time since her funeral, Red visited his mother’s grave with company.

Blue watched as Red lay flowers down from a bouquet, one by one, so that they sat just right over the grassy grave. He gave Red some time to sit in silence and process before kneeling in the ground next to him.

“I wish she could meet you,” Red said softly.

“I wish I could meet her,” Blue agreed.

“She would like you.”

**-line break-**

Professor Oak’s funeral was difficult.

Blue had known it would happen eventually. He knew it was amazing that his grandfather stayed healthy as long as he did, living to be almost one hundred.

He refused to go to the hospital in Viridian, opting to spend his final hours in his home, his grandchildren at his side. Red waited downstairs until a broken Blue emerged from his grandfather’s bedroom.

Red held him as he bawled that night, held him as Daisy called Nurse Joy to organize his death certificate. Red held him as he wrote e-mails and sent letters and cards to all of his grandfather’s old colleagues, and held him as he sat on the phone through interview after interview with the press.

Red held him until the day of the funeral, when Blue finally pushed his arms down from around his sides, and looked up at him, pain etched in his eyes.

“I can do this,” he said, and Red nodded.

And Blue did.

He gave his speech and accepted condolences and made it through the afterparty before crumbling in Red’s arms once more.

“It’ll be okay,” he told Red one night, buried in covers. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Don’t rush it,” Red whispered. “I’m here as long as you need.”

**-line break-**

Leaf joined the lab years later.

“Thought you’d seen the last of me, I bet,” she told Blue as she donned her slime day gear.

“Out of everything you could’ve chosen to study here,” Blue grumbled.

“Yeah, I heard Red’s been breeding ‘em now? Has some rare colors?” she said, smirking at the look of disgust on her boss’s face.

They got to expanding the internship program and attracting already-established researchers, building the place from Blue’s grandfather’s home to a world-renowned research lab.

He was grateful to have her, decades later, when he finally retired.

“Pack up your shit,” he ordered Red. “We’re travelling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO
> 
> THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR TODAY
> 
> THIS IS KINDA THE MAIN ENDING
> 
> epilogue to come at some point
> 
> thank you SO MUCH to dannymals564 for editing. you literally made it possible for this to all come up so fast because god knows i would've just let all this sit and rot in a google drive folder and never do any actual (very much needed) proofreading
> 
> this is literally the most i've written in years. i'm honestly so happy with how this turned out. once again, thanks to dannymals for telling me to write again lmao
> 
> i know i have a long ways to go as a writer and so many things to improve on, but just writing a fic like this and seeing it through to the end has been a great experience
> 
> now time to go back to my day job. spreadsheets.

**Author's Note:**

> yeah everythings' gonna be named after a hozier song. there's like, very little actual connection between the chapters and the lyrics but that's what we're doing
> 
> anyways this is gonna be a long ride hopefully we'll reach the end lol


End file.
